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GUIDE TO 


RACIAL GREATNESS 

OR 

THE SCIENCE OF COLLECTIVE EFFICIENCY 


By 

SUTTON E. GRIGGS 



ISSUED BY THE 

NATIONAL PUBLIC WELFARE LEAGUE 

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 


Copyright, 1923, 
by 

Sutton E. Griggs, 
Memphis, Tenn. 


DEDICATION 


To those raees of men that, for any cause, have 
loitered by the wayside and have not as yet reached 
the goal of collective efficiency; to the more advanced 
races with civilizations to be safeguarded against re¬ 
action, with perfection yet in the distance, and with a 
social inheritance to be transmitted from generation 
to generation; to interlacing groups, widely separated 
in point of development—to the entire human family, 
—these pages are dedicated in all humility, in the 
hope that all may find a common plane upon which to 
stand and work in peace for the world’s good. 

Sutton E. Griggs. 


■ 
































































' 



























































“The permanently effective task before mankind 
which had to be done before any new and enduring 
social and political edifice was possible, the task 
upon which the human intelligence is, with many 
interruptions and amidst much anger and turmoil, 
still engaged, was, and is, the task of working out 
and applying a Science of Property as a basis of 
freedom and social justice, a Science of Currency to 
ensure and preserve an efficient economic medium, 
a Science of Government and Collective Operations * 
whereby in every community men may learn to 
pursue their common interests in harmony, a 
Science of World Politics, through which the stark 
waste and cruelty of warfare between races, peo¬ 
ples, and nations may be brought to an end and 
the common interests of mankind brought under 
a common control, and, above all, a world-wide 
System of Education to sustain the will and inter¬ 
est of men in their common human adventure.”— 
WELLS. 


*The italics are ours. 






















, 







II 



































- mm 












THE NEW SCIENCE 

INTRODUCTION 

The new science of collective efficiency is an off¬ 
shoot of sociology as the latter is in turn an off¬ 
shoot of anthropology. Anthropology is a study 
of man as a distinct member of the animal king¬ 
dom. Sociology deals with man as a member of 
society and concerns itself “with the origin and 
development of arts and sciences, opinions, beliefs, 
customs, laws and institutions generally within 
historic time.” As butter is contained in, and 
comes out of milk, so is collective efficiency a de¬ 
rivative of sociology. 

It has, however, distinct characteristics of its 
own, even as butter has the characteristic of solid¬ 
ity not possessed by the milk from which it is 
derived. The science of collective efficiency selects 
from sociology, history, ethics, religion, chemistry, 
biology, zoology, entomology, and all other avail¬ 
able sources, information contributing to the de¬ 
velopment of the one thing that concerns it, 
namely, the ability of men to function successfully 
and enduringly as groups, meeting in adequate 
fashion the responsibilities that they encounter as 
groups. 


INTRODUCTION 


While the science of collective efficiency is nar¬ 
rower than sociology, it is broader than the science 
of government which deals with the political ac¬ 
tivities of men. The science of government tells 
how governments are operated, while the science 
of collective efficiency deals with the elements in 
government that make for superior strength, and 
points the way to successful collective action in 
domains other than political. 

At the present time not all the groups of men are 
manifesting collective efficiency, a fact that brings 
about the inequality in the status of groups, a con¬ 
dition that gives rise to some of the world’s most 
vexatious problems. The science of collective ef¬ 
ficiency points the way for those groups that have 
lagged in the matter of social evolution, offers a 
bridge by which all belated groups may change 
their rating, outlining to them very definitely the 
things they must do to secure that result. 

It is very apparent to all thoughtful minds that 
human society, even in its more advanced mani¬ 
festations, stands in need of reconstruction. The 
science of collective efficiency lays bare the things 
that should characterize the new order of things 
for the whole human family. It is offered, not as 
something that may be chosen or tossed aside at 
will, but as something that must be followed if 
there is to be social success of the highest order. 


INTRODUCTION 


In view of the world’s great need along the 
lines here indicated, it is hoped that men every¬ 
where will do more than merely read and approve 
these findings; that they will make every possible 
effort to incorporate all that is good into the life 
of the people. The Great Teacher has let us know 
that it is not everyone that saith, “Lord, Lord,” 
that enters the kingdom, but he that doeth the will 
of the Father. 









. 





















































FOREWORD 

Democracy has become the goal of our age. But 
not all men as we find them in the world today are 
able to conduct a successful democracy. This is 
possible only where there is a sufficient preponder¬ 
ance of certain traits and the following out of cer¬ 
tain principles. Without the necessary traits and 
principles a group may have the form of a democ¬ 
racy, but it will be but a hollow mockery. 

Groups may be in a democracy, but not of it. 
They may lack the collective strength to gather 
what it offers. The roar of thunder is loud, but the 
deaf do not hear it. The lightning flash is vivid, 
but the blind do not see it. It is only those that 
have ears to hear and eyes to see that can hear and 
see. Democracy carries absolutely nothing of hope 
to those lacking in the traits necessary to receive 
her blessings. Units that lack a capacity for collec¬ 
tive efficiency in a democracy are like helpless 
babes. Like Tantalus, they will be near water that 
they can never drink. Let all who would enjoy the 
blessings of democracy go in search of the require¬ 
ments of collective efficiency. 

It will soon appear, as the science unfolds, that 
this question of attaining collective efficiency is not 


FOREWORD 


something optional with groups, something that 
may or may not be acquired, with no marked dif¬ 
ference appearing one way or another. No! No! 
Woe follows woe with as much certainty as the 
shadows follow the sun in the case of every element 
in a democracy that lacks the traits essential for 
collective efficiency. All the groups of men of all 
races and climes that are weeping and wailing and 
beating their bosoms in lamentations are asked to 
examine each and all of their ills in the light of the 
findings of collective efficiency. 

From the depths of the valley, from the summit 
of the mountain, from the far distant stars, from 
all things everywhere, from the very heart of the 
universe, comes the insistent cry, comes the fate¬ 
ful warning: “Develop collective efficiency or suf¬ 
fer disgrace, endure measureless sorrow, and ulti¬ 
mately perish.” 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Chapter 1. Collective Efficiency Defined. 1 

Chapter 2. Joint Tasks Enumerated. 7 

Chapter 3. The Curse of the Inefficiency of 

Groups. 26 

Chapter 4. Nature’s Two Classes. 39 

Chapter 5. Individualism. 43 

Chapter 6. Possibility of Transformation. 63 

Chapter 7. Essential Elements of Collective Effi¬ 
ciency . 81 

Chapter 8. Proper Combination of Qualities.... 181 

Chapter 9. Imperfect Transformation. 187 

Chapter 10. Agencies of Transformation .204 

Chapter 11. Nature’s Corrective.220 

A Parting Word.228 















CHAPTER I 

COLLECTIVE EFFICIENCY DEFINED 

Under the operation of nature’s laws the mere 
contact of one thing with another sometimes pro¬ 
duces that which would not exist but for that con¬ 
tact. When our planet left the sun and began its 
spinning journey around its fiery parent, among 
the gases it carried with it were hydrogen, oxygen 
and nitrogen. The establishment of contact be¬ 
tween the atoms of hydrogen and oxygen caused 
the forming of water, thus providing drink for 
men and animals, and moisture for vegetation; 
thus making possible the great seas and vast oceans 
which bear upon their bosoms the commerce of the 
world. Nitrogen and oxygen touched each other, 
and the result was the air that feeds the lungs of 
man and makes it possible for him to breathe and 
live. 

Once upon a time a man was walking with a long 
steel fishing-rod over his shoulder. In the neigh¬ 
borhood in which he was walking there was a sta¬ 
tion which was generating electricity. He walked 
into the station with the fishing-rod on his back, and 
only the timely application of the proper remedy 
saved his life. Just before this incident happened 
1 


2 


GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


the man was in normal condition; the fishing-rod 
was as harmless as usual, and the generating sta¬ 
tion was working in perfect order. The new prob¬ 
lem of danger to the man's life arose out of the 
mere fact that he, the fishing-rod and the gen¬ 
erating station were found close together. 

In the cases we have cited we have seen striking 
results that have come merely as the effect of one 
thing being brought into contact with another. We 
have seen that the ocean and the air and the deadly 
electrical current are generated by mere contact. 
It is very plain, then, that the mere fact of contact 
between objects is capable of having far reaching 
effects. The problems of human society arise by 
virtue of the fact that man comes into contact with 
man. 

Since the problems of human society arise out of 
the fact that man comes into contact with man, and 
since each party to the contact is a contributor to 
the resultant problems, each party has an equal re¬ 
sponsibility in the matter of facing these problems. 
Thus, no man living in a world of contacts does his 
full duty so long as he gives exclusive attention to 
himself and to the things that immediately concern 
him- 

But, since no one establishes contact by himself, 
there can be no such thing as exclusive responsi¬ 
bility with regard to the problems that arise out of 


COLLECTIVE EFFICIENCY DEFINED 3 


the fact of contact. All such problems are social— 
they are joint tasks. Without exception all groups 
of men have these joint tasks, which are handled 
with different degrees of efficiency, and sometimes 
are not handled at all. In many cases the joint 
nature of tasks is not even perceived. 

When a group has the capacity for concentrating 
all of its potential and necessary strength behind 
its joint tasks, and the habit of doing this, it pos¬ 
sesses collective efficiency. 

Many elements enter into this question of ca¬ 
pacity for efficient collective action. First of all, 
there must be a capability of discerning the joint 
nature of a task, and a readiness to respond to calls 
to perform joint duties. Further, there must be 
the possession of other qualities that enable men 
to work together well. Where men are slow to see 
the joint nature of a task, slow to respond to calls 
for the performance of joint duties, and have traits 
that cause them to fail to work together well, 
there will not be the desired degree of collective 
efficiency. 

Social Epilepsy. 

When the human body is journeying in a nor¬ 
mal way from one point to another, we have an 
example of collective efficiency as applied to the 
body. All the parts are lifted and all the muscles 
act in harmony. But when the body is afflicted with 


I 


4 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

epilepsy it no longer manifests collective efficiency. 
While the body as a whole, dominated by the will, 
is trying to move in a given direction, a portion of 
it stages independent activities of its own. Thus, 
an epileptic must sometimes wait until the inde¬ 
pendent activities of some organ cease, so that the 
general movement of the whole body may be under¬ 
taken. Often in human society we have groups 
that have potential resources, that see their joint 
tasks, that put forth efforts to meet them, but fail 
because some elements that are vital fail to func¬ 
tion properly. Whenever a group exists that is not 
able to bring about a co-ordination of activities, is 
not able to move as a general body in a given direc¬ 
tion, but is materially affected by independent ac¬ 
tivities on the part of some element not brought 
into harmony with its general purposes, then that 
group may be said to be afflicted with social 
epilepsy. 

Social Paralysis 

But there are groups that occupy even a lower 
level, that are afflicted with social paralysis. Such 
a group is one that sits supinely in front of its joint 
tasks, sees them, knows that they should be per¬ 
formed, but allows them to go untouched. A para¬ 
lytic with a sound mind may know that he has 
limbs designed for walking, may have a desire to 
walk to a given point, but lacks the power of mov- 


COLLECTIVE EFFICIENCY DEFINED 5 


ing himself. There are groups of men in a like con¬ 
dition. Move about among them, and each indi¬ 
vidual can tell what is desired, can enumerate their 
possibilities, and yet there is no joint action of the 
kind desired. Such a group is suffering from an 

attack of social paralysis. 

* * ❖ 

Thus mankind may be divided into (a) groups 
that manifest collective efficiency; (b) groups that 
have social epilepsy; and (c) groups afflicted with 
social paralysis. 

A terse expression by Mr. Lloyd George, while 
Premier of Great Britain, enables us to illustrate 
clearly collective efficiency, social epilepsy and 
social paralysis. A conference of the great powers 
of the world was to be held at Genoa, Italy. Mr. 
George said: “We hope to see America at Genoa.” 
The sending to Genoa of men able to arrange a plan 
behind which the national strength would be put, 
would have been a demonstration of collective effi¬ 
ciency. If representatives of our government had 
gone to Genoa and had signed agreements that 
were accepted and acted upon by some of our states 
and the national administration, but were rejected 
and spurned by others, that would have been a case 
of social epilepsy, the inability of the national body 
to secure the co-ordination of all its parts. If the 
United States had desired to be represented at 


6 


GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


Genoa, but had been unable to unite on representa¬ 
tion, or had been unable, with all of its potential 
resources, to arrange for their transportation, that 
would have been a case of social paralysis, the 
sheer inability to meet a collective need. 

The Collective Arm 

There is an unfailing test as to whether a group 
is characterized by the qualities that make for col¬ 
lective efficiency. Joint tasks are handled by means 
of a collective arm. Wherever a joint task appears, 
and a collective arm is developed to care for it, 
there you will find collective efficiency; but when in 
a group you find joint tasks, with no agencies 
springing up to handle them, be assured that there 
is a fatal deficiency in such a group. Are there 
things in the life of your group going wrong, with 
no agency devoting itself to the task of correcting 
them? If so, realize that your group is not in a 
healthy condition, and will not be until the col¬ 
lective arm develops in the presence of a need, just 
as a plant sprouts in the midst of the conditions 
designed to stir the life within it. 


CHAPTER II 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 

We have now seen that collective efficiency con¬ 
sists in the practice of giving proper and effective 
attention to joint tasks. We have also asserted 
that one necessity for the manifestation of col¬ 
lective efficiency is a readiness of perception of the 
joint nature of tasks. Since the manifestation of 
collective efficiency will not come where there is no 
recognition of joint tasks, we now proceed to 
catalog the joint tasks that confront groups of 
men. 

* * ❖ 

The chief force that holds a building together is 
the cohesive power that exists in the various things 
out of which it is constructed. It is true that a nail 
holds two boards together, and thus is a factor in 
sustaining the building, but the force that causes 
the atoms of each board to hold to each other is a 
far greater sustaining force. Just as cohesiveness 
in the various materials that constitute a building 
is the greatest force holding the building together, 
so the individual functioning properly as an indi¬ 
vidual is the greatest asset of society. Since proper 
functioning on the part of the individual is the 

7 


8 


GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


chief sustaining force of society, it is one of the 
chief joint tasks of society to afford each individual 
an opportunity to get the best results out of him¬ 
self. 

The people of Asia constitute an overwhelming 
majority of the earth’s population, but most of her 
groups have failed to attain collective efficiency. 
The Asiatics on the whole have not regarded it as a 
joint task to enable the individual to get the very 
best results out of himself. Professor Painter 
says: “The individual there counts for nothing. A 
despotic external authority controls his destiny. 
Education does not aim to develop a perfect man or 
woman, but to prepare its subjects for their place 
in the established order of things. It does not aim 
to beautify the stone, but to fit it for its place in the 
wall.” * * * 

It is the duty of a group to perpetuate and aug¬ 
ment itself. This can only be done where health is 
safeguarded and where the birth rate exceeds the 
death rate. Whenever and wherever the people of 
a group are dying faster than new members are 
being born, and full attention is not being given the 
matter, a joint task is being neglected. If there is 
inability to assemble the potential forces of the 
group behind this task, if the efforts in this direc¬ 
tion are feeble and abortive, there is an absence of 
collective efficiency at this point. 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 9 

Nature has never assembled a group of men but 
that she expended great energy, accumulated a 
vast amount of special experience and concentrated 
special talents in that group. It constitutes a great 
loss to humanity for a group to disappear utterly. 
The American Indian had some very noble quali¬ 
ties—qualities needed in a large measure by the 
whole human family. It was a joint task facing 
the Indians to augment and perpetuate their great 
life, but they lacked collective efficiency. They had 
no health department in their civic life, and thus 
they have slowly passed away. The French have 
noted their declining birth rate, and their states¬ 
men have accepted it as a duty to change this con¬ 
dition. They regard it as a solemn obligation, in¬ 
volving the very existence of the nation to take 
such steps as will insure the perpetuity of the 
French nation. 

$ ^ 

The world has not gone forward by the simul¬ 
taneous breaking forth of light everywhere. Light 
has come first to one, then to a few. Whenever in 
any group a few have seen the light, it is their duty 
to band themselves together to see that the masses 
likewise have the light. And when an exceptional 
character appears in the race, it is a racial duty to 
see to it that what he works out is scattered as an 
inheritance to all the people. For example, if 


10 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


nature produces a Roosevelt, it becomes a racial 
duty to convey this product whole to every bosom, 
that all may be drawn to his level. Wherever there 
is no handing over to the many the advancement 
attained by individuals, there is the neglect of a 
joint task. 

History furnishes full proof of the fact that 
nature has a way of blessing races by the gift of 
exceptional characters after long intervals. Such 
men have in them the capacity to serve far beyond 
the period of their own lives. But nature's gifts 
are largely wasted whenever there is not the effi¬ 
ciency in a group to hand over to succeeding gen¬ 
erations the outpouring of the great souls sent by 
nature into their midst. 

Not all the exceptional characters that have ap¬ 
peared in the world are known to history. There 
have been great men, now forgotten, who would 
today be potent factors in the lives of men of the 
groups in which they appeared if those groups had 
but possessed the efficiency to spread their worth 
abroad, and to transmit it to the next generation. 
Those groups that have not the spiritual capacity 
for giving proper emphasis on a wide scale to true 

worth, fail in a very important joint task. 

* * * 

In the assembling of people to live together, there 
is often a collecting of moral weaklings. These 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED ll 

weaklings attract the attention of those who are 
willing to fatten off of them by pandering to their 
weaknesses and developing them. When these 
social blood-suckers are allowed to ply their trades 
without protest from the more thoughtful and 
righteous element, it is a sign that there is no col¬ 
lective efficiency being displayed touching this mat¬ 
ter. A social group sitting still while anti-social 
forces corrupt its life may be likened unto a brows¬ 
ing animal that continues to eat while poisonous 
parasites burrow in its flesh. It is a joint task of 
every group to care for its own weak ones. 

A moral weakling should not be left to become 
just whatever he or she wills. In some degree, 
whether great or small, the weakness of every indi¬ 
vidual affects the welfare of all. This is clearly 
illustrated by the coming of the world war, which 
destroyed millions of lives, wrecked more millions 
of human bodies, wasted billions of dollars, and 
upset many of the great governments of the world. 
The match that started this greatest of all con¬ 
flagrations was lighted by one individual with per¬ 
verted views of life. 

A nation that suffers bandits to roam over its 
realm at will, robbing the people of their earnings, 
is no more to be respected than that group that 
does not bestir itself when spiritual bandits are at 
work perverting the morals of the masses, pander- 


12 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


ing to their weakness for the sake of personal 
gain. * * * 

The care of deserted or neglected children found 
to be under improper influences, and those de¬ 
prived of parental care by death, is a joint task. 

If children thus situated are neglected and allowed 
to grow up out of step with the rest of the popula¬ 
tion, they will prove to be a retarding element. 
Orphan asylums and institutions for the care of 
the neglected young are among the most important 
of all civic influences, and their maintenance is a 
duty lying at the door of all. Where there is col¬ 
lective efficiency this task is receiving due atten¬ 
tion. Where it is neglected it is both a sign and a 
cause of improper functioning. It is a sign that 
the vision as to joint tasks is surely dimmed. 
Neglected children when mature will, by their 
backward ways, so retard the movements of the 
group as to cause it to have social epilepsy or social 
paralysis. * * * 

The care of those who would otherwise suffer 
and be in want is a joint task. One of the greatest 
needs of a group is a spirit of kindliness—frater¬ 
nity. This does not exist, cannot exist, where there 
is indifference to suffering. Neglected suffering 
causes hearts to become hardened, and groups of 
men with hardened hearts cannot develop that de- 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


13 


gree of sociability necessary to harmonious action. 
The neglect of those in want is a certain sign of the 
absence of those finer sentiments of the heart so 

essential to the possession of collective efficiency. 
* * * 

In order for a group to do things in proportion 
to what is expected of it, it must have a proper de¬ 
gree of unity and cohesion. When unduly divided, 
a group cannot measure up to just expectations. 
From time to time groups will be subjected to 
strains that tend in the direction of harmful di¬ 
visions, and cohesion is needed to enable them to 
stand these strains. Since unity and cohesion are 
needs of a group, their proper maintenance is a 
joint task. 

Abraham Lincoln conceived it to be a collective 
task to preserve the unity of the United States. As 
the representative of the collective will of the 
nation he placed the duty of maintaining cohesion 
above every other civic duty. He summoned the 
American people to the task of preventing the fall¬ 
ing to pieces of the great social fabric that had 
been created. It was a blessing for mankind that 
the people recognized the problem of maintaining 

cohesion as a joint task confronting them. 

* * * 

How is a group being led, by its highest intelli¬ 
gence, or by its weaker element? Whenever inta 


14 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


group that which is weakest gets into control, evil 
results in the long run are certain to follow. It is 
a joint task confronting a group to put its best foot 
forward. The presence of collective efficiency 
makes sure the leadership of the greater intelli¬ 
gence. When in a group the weak are leading the 
strong it is a sign of the absence of collective 
efficiency. 

In a group characterized by collective efficiency, 
ways are worked out to enable the most efficient 
leader to be in the lead. England reserves the 
throne for the royal family, and preserves it for its 
unifying influence in the empire; but as nature 
does not always give the superior brain to the 
reigning member of the royal family, the English 
people have evolved the post of premier, which can 
only be held by a man who demonstrates the ca¬ 
pacity to win out over the conflicting opinions and 
ambitions of all other statesmen. Over and over 
again he is put to the test. In this way leadership 
is not allowed to remain in weak hands by default. 
Since all in a group are affected in some way or 
another by the leadership of that group, it is a 
joint task to see that the best possible leadership is 
obtained. 

* * * 

No small body of men can plan and act wisely for 
a large group of men without general aid. Though 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


IS 


occupying the seats of power, those in charge of 
affairs must have assistance from the public in 
general. They must know what the public is think¬ 
ing. The public must respond to the steps that are 
taken. It is a joint task for a group to get its con¬ 
sensus of opinion up to those in charge of af¬ 
fairs, so as to enable those in authority to note 
the effect of things that are done. When the 
people of a group have collective efficiency they let 
those directing affairs know what is thought of 
their course, and thus render the aid that must 
come from the public to insure successful govern¬ 
ment. In other words, collective efficiency enables 
groups to keep step with governments, and govern¬ 
ments to keep step with the people. 

The president of the United States is greatly 
aided by the people in the performance of his 
duties. Free speech permits each editor to give 
his views pertaining to questions that arise, and 
the editors feel that it is their duty to comment 
upon happenings that have a bearing upon the gen¬ 
eral welfare. In addition to daily newspapers there 
are weekly periodicals and monthly and quarterly 
magazines that lend the aid of their judgment. 
There are also organizations that give considera¬ 
tion to civic questions. These various agencies en¬ 
able a president and those who make the laws to 
get the benefit of the collective mind. In this way 


16 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


the government can be conducted in harmony with 
the mind of the people. This is not possible where 
the people do not have proper agencies of enlighten- 
ment. 

* * * 

At times men who are inefficient or otherwise 
unfit for leadership get control of affairs in a 
group. For the sake of the group, changes should 
be made in the leadership. Here is a joint task for 
members of a group, the deposing of unworthy 
leadership. While changes should be made, they 
should be made in such a way as not to do violence 
to the larger needs of the group. When a group 
possesses collective efficiency, it will remove the 
faulty leadership, but will do so in a way not to 
leave serious harm behind. Countries in which 
armed revolutions are needed to remove undesira¬ 
ble leaders are lacking in collective efficiency. 

Nothing short of the sense of joint responsibility 
will insure the removal of incompetent or unsatis¬ 
factory leadership, as all leadership is able to make 
effective personal appeals to a number. Those per¬ 
sonally favored by the leadership will be slow to 
see its defects and are likely to unite to prevent its 
overthrow. Unless there is a sense of joint respon¬ 
sibility there will not be the incentive for the co¬ 
operation necessary for bringing about the needed 
change of leadership. There are groups in which 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


17 


leaders that are notoriously incompetent remain in 
the lead for long periods of time. This is the plain¬ 
est sort of advertisement of the lack of collective 
efficiency. 

It is out of devotion to their joint tasks that 
groups get the highest type of leadership. Joint 
tasks appeal to men of unselfish spirits. Their 
leadership in matters of general interest brings 
them into public view and causes them to be availa¬ 
ble as leaders. Whenever groups give no serious 
attention to their joint tasks, the road to general 
leadership is left open to those who have risen to 
prominence by success obtained in looking after 
their own personal interests, perhaps in a very 
selfish way. It is thus that groups that give but 
little attention to joint tasks ultimately find them¬ 
selves in the clutches of a selfish leadership. When 
the leadership of a group is selfish, it is indeed hard 
to summon the people to co-operate. They are 
afraid to venture forth, even as rats are afraid to 
go forth when they know that cats are around 
awaiting opportunities to devour them. 

N. S. Shaler says: “In our own Aryan race, as 
well as in the Semitic, there is an element of confi¬ 
dence of man in his fellows that leads to the asso¬ 
ciation of endeavor in business.” Since confidence 
lies at the very foundation of joint action, it is a 


18 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


joint task to maintain it. As it concerns all, it is 
the business of all to keep the altar fires of faith 
burning in all bosoms. Wherever distrust walks 
boldly about in the midst of a people, paralyzing 
their faith in themselves, it is certain that that 
joint task, the elimination of distrust, is being 
neglected. 

Where leadership is selfish, people will not hesi¬ 
tate to seek leadership in other groups. Between 
an alien leadership that is just, and a domestic 
leadership that is selfish and unjust, the people are 
sorely tempted to fly to the arms of the aliens for 
relief. It is thus that selfish leadership often paves 
the way for foreign control. 

The development of an unselfish leadership is a 

joint task of the very highest importance. 

* * * 

Every group needs the hearty good-will of every 
other group. Here is a joint task for a group—the 
winning and the holding of the good-will of other 
groups. A group should not allow its relations 
toward another group to be subject to the undi¬ 
rected drift of things, to chance happenings. Steps 
should be taken to keep in the forefront those 
things that make for respect and good-will. But 
this should not be the task of one man. Being a 
need of the group, the group should foster the 
work. Races that possess collective efficiency have 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


19 


ambassadors that are sustained by those in whose 
interest they labor. Where there is no collective 
efficiency, there will be no support of an ambas¬ 
sador. 

Often groups have allowed their relations 
toward other groups to drift, and direful conse¬ 
quences have ensued as a result. A group owes it 
to itself to keep its better self and its higher pur¬ 
poses before its neighboring groups. And this is 
a task in which the whole group should share. The 
ambassador should be appreciated and sustained 
by the actions of those whom he represents. But 
the guidance of relationship is never effectively 
carried out where there is not a realization both 
that guidance is needed and that the task is a joint 
one. 

* * * 

A vital need of a group to insure its efficiency is 
the love of its members for it. To secure and hold 
the love of a member, he should be given cause to 
feel that the strong arm of the group is a protec¬ 
tion to him. Whenever a group fails to extend this 
protection, devotion to that group wanes. It is not 
conducive to efficiency for the members of a group 
to have the feeling that their membership in the 
group is a liability instead of an asset. Since the 
welfare of a group is so greatly dependent upon the 
love of its members, it is a joint task to see to it 


20 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


that a message of love, of justice, of mercy, of kind¬ 
ness is ever present in the heart of every member 
of the group, whether he be of high or low estate. 

* * * 

The human intellect operates according to fixed 
laws. Certain things beget disgust, or contempt, 
or pity. The intellect insists that deeds shall cor¬ 
respond with opportunities. A man who has had 
millions of dollars and has wasted them until he is 
a pauper, excites disgust in the minds of those who 
know him. Likewise it is hard for the members of 
one group to have adequate respect for the mem¬ 
bers of another group that is not measuring up to 
. just expectations. It is one of the joint tasks of a 
group to achieve such results that the full respect 
of all other groups is assured. Collective efficiency 
is required to attain this result. 

Collective efficiency brings a respect that can 
come in no other way. 

One of the leading Protestant laymen of the 
United States approached an eminent Catholic prel¬ 
ate with a view to finding out whether there was 
any basis of co-operation between the Catholics 
and the Protestants. The prelate answered by 
holding up a tightly clenched fist and a hand with 
the fingers sprawling. He gave the layman to 
understand that the Catholics did not regard the 
Protestants as being in a class with themselves, 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


21 


since the former were united as a fist, while the lat¬ 
ter were like the hand with the sprawling fingers. 

If there are groups of men anywhere in the 
world that are trying and expecting to win the full 
respect of mankind by the individual route, who 
are disappointed when they encounter a lurking 
sneer in the face of some notable achievement, let 
them but glance over the various realms of nature 
and they will find that the highest meed of praise in 
every sphere is won only by those groups that best 
perform joint tasks. 

Of all the types of nests made by birds, the most 
marvelous are those of the weaver birds of 
Africa, and they are birds that co-operate. Among 
the animals the following tribute has been paid to 
the beaver, who is a co-operator, by Mr. Wm. T. 
Hornaday, Director of the New York Zoological 
Park: “In domestic economy the beaver is the most 
intelligent of all living mammals. His inherited 
knowledge, his original thought, his reasoning 
power and his engineering and mechanical skill in 
constructive works are marvelous and beyond com¬ 
pare. In his manifold industrial activities there is 
no other mammal that is even a good second to 
him.” 

The superiority of collective achievements over 
those representing individual prowess is seen in 
the difference in the treatment accorded by the 


22 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


American people to Marshal Foch, a Frenchman, 
and that accorded Sergeant York, an American. 
Sergeant York slew more of the enemy in the world 
war than any other American soldier, according to 
the records of the Allies. It is not a matter of 
record that General Foch, a Frenchman, slew one 
enemy. Yet the demonstration by the American 
people in honor of the Frenchman, Foch, who did 
not kill one enemy, far overshadowed that in honor 
of the American, York, who killed the most. Ser¬ 
geant York’s deed was that of an individual. Gen¬ 
eral Foch displayed genius in handling the col¬ 
lective strength of the Allies, and was the executive 
force that enabled them to manifest collective 
efficiency. 

During the world war China entered the strug¬ 
gle on the side of the Allies. She had a population 
more numerous than the combined population of 
England, France, Italy, Belgium and the United 
States; and she had within her borders an abun¬ 
dance of the things needed for the successful prose¬ 
cution of the war. At the Versailles peace con¬ 
ference China felt herself ignored, and refused to 
sign the treaty that was formulated, whereas the 
United States was treated with great deference. 
The United States had manifested collective effi¬ 
ciency, whereas China had not. The Chinese were 
unable to amass their resources, whereas the 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


23 


people of the United States so met their tasks as to 
thrill the world with respect. 

How that respect came to the United States be¬ 
cause of the results that sprang from collective 
efficiency is indicated by the following comment 
from General Foch, who was in supreme command 
of all the armies of the Allies: 

“In numbers: Eighteen months after the decla¬ 
ration of war by the United States on Germany, 
the American army had passed from effectives of 
9,500 officers and 125,000 men, to 180,000 officers 
and 3,500,000 men. 

“Effort of organization: If, in the month of 
March, 1918, you had in France but six divisions, 
six months later you had 41, of which 31 engaged in 
battle. 

“Effort in instruction: In order to have officers, 
noncommissioned officers, and men rapidly trained, 
you multiplied in America as in France, your 
schools and camps, which became centers of prodig¬ 
ious activity. 

“In order to arm you and camp you, the Ameri¬ 
can manufacturers worked without respite and 
supplied all your needs. 

“Admirable efforts also in transportation. You 
swept away every obstacle which interfered with 
bringing your units from the centers of instruction 
to the ports of embarkation. 


24 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


“In France you improved the port of debarka¬ 
tion, created new installations, increased the traf¬ 
fic of the railroad system by work of all kinds, and 
multiplied your store-houses and hospitals. 

“Your shipyards were organized for intensive 
production in such a way that when the war ended 
you utilized for your ocean transportation almost 
4,000,000 of marine tonnage, instead of 94,000 avail¬ 
able at the beginning of the war. 

“And meanwhile your splendid war fleet, thanks 
to its vigilance and its fine military qualities, pro¬ 
tected with an efficiency to which I am happy to 
pay tribute here, the transportation of your troops 
and material. 

“A prodigous effort on the part of your entire 
nation’s intelligence, will power and energy. A 
prodigious effort which has filled your associates 
with admiration and gratitude, and confounded 
your enemy.” 

Suppose, on the contrary, the United States had 
been unable to amass her resources, unable to 
throw her strength behind her desires; suppose the 
cause of the Allies had failed merely because the 
American people were not efficient enough to 
utilize the resources of the nation—suppose this to 
have been the case, what power, earthly or divine, 
could have kept the people of the world from hav¬ 
ing a contempt for this country? And if the coun- 


JOINT TASKS ENUMERATED 


25 


try as a whole had contempt visited upon it, every 
American abroad would have drawn his dividend 
of contempt. Men simply cannot be lacking in col¬ 
lective efficiency and enjoy the full respect of 
others. 

But collective efficiency on the part of groups of 
men wins respect even where the size of achieve¬ 
ments is not involved. The Swiss, the Dutch and 
the Belgians are small nations, but they conduct 
their respective affairs in such an orderly manner, 
they so adequately meet their civic responsibilities, 
that they command the utmost respect of the 
world’s greatest powers. It was the respect that 
the world had for Belgium that helped to cement 
the opposition to Germany, a country that showed 
disrespect to Belgium. 

Nature has given to all groups of men individuals 
of brilliant parts. Some of these individuals have 
very distressful assignments, and are located in 
groups that stand sadly in need of many vital ele¬ 
ments. Brilliant individuals may decide to let their 
fellows welter in their trouble and seek a way to 
the stars by themselves. Let all such know that 
there is a glory that cannot come to one apart from 
the glory of the group as a background. 


CHAPTER III 


THE CURSE OF THE INEFFICIENCY OF 
GROUPS 

Not only is it true that the highest success comes 
only to the groups that manifest collective effi¬ 
ciency, but serious disadvantages exist wherever it 
is absent. Let us go first to Nature for instruction 
in this matter. She never fails to proclaim the full 
truth to all who listen carefully and reverently to 
her voice. Listen to her interesting story of the 
experiences of three kinds of bees—the Apis, the 
Anthophora and the Osmia. 

The Apis practices co-operation and develops col¬ 
lective efficiency; the Anthophora and the Osmia 
prefer to live each to itself. Notice, now, the dif¬ 
ference in the status of these bees: In search of a 
safe place for her young, the Anthophora chooses 
a home under the ground, which she reaches by 
going through a gallery leading thereto. She flits 
from flower to flower, being thoroughly indus¬ 
trious. From the nectar of the flowers she makes 
honey, which she stores away in the nest which she 
has constructed for her young in her underground 
home. There is another insect known as the Sitaris 
that seems to have no mission in the world except 
26 


INEFFICIENCY OF GROUPS 


27 


to harass this solitary bee. The Sitaris lives for 
but two days only after maturity, but within that 
period of time lays about two thousand eggs just 
inside the mouth of the gallery through which the 
Anthophora passes to her nest. The grub of the 
Sitaris when first hatched can live for seven 
months without food of any sort. As the 
Anthophora leaves the mouth of the gallery, going 
forth in quest of honey for her coming brood, the 
Sitaris nimbly leaps upon her and clings tightly to 
a hair on her body, going with her wherever she 
goes, holding on as she forces her way into and out 
of the mouths and stems of the flowers from which 
she takes her food. The Sitaris thus clings until 
the instant when the Anthophora drops her egg 
upon the honey, which she has placed in a cell for 
her grub when it hatches. As the egg drops upon 
the honey, the Sitaris drops upon the egg, and, 
when the mother has sealed the cell and gone to 
other tasks, proceeds to rip open the egg and live 
off its juices. When the Sitaris has grown strong on 
the egg of the Anthophora it next proceeds to de¬ 
vour the honey that was intended for the egg when 
it hatched. 

The story of the Osmia’s efforts to provide for 
its young has a no less tragic end. The Osmia 
chooses to build her nest on the side of a sloping 
hill, and does her work with the skill of an expert 


28 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


mason. The Anthrax Fly, scouting through the 
air, spies the nest upon the hillsides, sweeps down 
upon it, quickly drops its egg and flies on. The sun 
hatches the egg, and the tiny larva wanders over 
the surface of the nest until it finds a small opening 
through which it worms its way into the nest to the 
spot where the grub of the Osmia has woven itself 
a silken sheath and has gone to sleep to await trans¬ 
formation into a bee. But instead of its expected 
resurrection it is doomed to die a slow death. The 
larva of the Anthrax when inside the nest develops 
a bowl-shaped mouth, which it applies to the skin 
of the larva of the bee, now in a torpid state. After 
devouring the larva of the bee, the larva of the 
Anthrax Fly undergoes a wonderful transforma¬ 
tion and develops tools which enable it to hew its 
way out, and when ready to go forth it undergoes 
another wonderful transformation. 

The Osmia has still another foe, the Stelis, which 
watches her operations in storing food for her off¬ 
spring, yet to be produced. Before the storing of 
the food is completed the Stelis lays her egg toward 
the bottom, and when it is completed the Osmia lays 
her egg at the top. The larva of the Stelis hatches 
first and proceeds to eat the food provided by the 
Osmia for her larva. The Osmia’s larva, hatching 
later than that of the Stelis, eats the food supply 
from the top downward. When the two lame meet 


INEFFICIENCY OF GROUPS 


29 


the Stelis is the older and stronger, and kills and 
eats the Osmia, taking from one to two days to 
complete the eating of her victim. 

Having seen the dangers to which the eggs and 
grubs of the solitary bees are exposed, we turn 
now to the home of the social bee—Apis: As she 
lives and works in full partnership with other bees, 
she is in a position to make better provisions for 
the safety and care of her young. No Sitaris enters 
the hive to leave behind a ravenous devourer of her 
eggs. No larva of the Anthrax Fly makes its way 
in to suck the life from her offspring while asleep 
awaiting transformation. By virtue of her part¬ 
nership with other bees of her kind, the Apis has a 
sentinel that guards the door of her home, allowing 
no stranger of any sort to enter without a .bitter 
fight. Moreover, nurses are provided that give 
constant attention to eggs and to the bees newly 
hatched. 

As we look from the tragic depths in which the 
larva of the solitary bee is meeting its untimely 
death at the hands of a foe nourished by food pre¬ 
pared by the doomed one’s mother, up to the great 
heights attained by the social bee, it is difficult to 
conceive how nature could preach a more wonder¬ 
ful sermon concerning the importance of the ca¬ 
pacity for co-operation. Let all get this lesson who 
will. The races or groups of men that do not de- 


30 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


velop the traits that make for co-operative life 
must pay the penalty—must suffer the most bitter 
tragedies. We shall now see how this comes to pass 
in the case of groups of people. 

Nature has so distributed her gifts that every 
part of the world contains something that is of 
value to people who live in other parts. Thus, 
people in other parts of the world feel the need of 
the hemp of the Philippine Islands, the oil of 
Mexico, the ivory and diamonds of Africa, and the 
tea of China. It is a moral duty of every group so 
to handle its resources as to benefit itself, and at 
the same time to render service to the rest of man¬ 
kind. The inefficiency that causes a failure to do 
this manifests itself in many ways. The group un¬ 
able to avail itself of its material resources is often 
likewise unable to maintain law and order, or to 
conduct a progressive civilization. This weakness 
invites aggression even as sores are a standing in¬ 
vitation to flies. 

When one race moves in to administer affairs 
which another race feels should be under its juris¬ 
diction, there is an inevitable clash of spirits be¬ 
tween the two. Moreover, much of the discord 
among the nations of the earth is over the question 
as to who shall have priority in the administration 
of affairs in groups that lack the efficiency to man¬ 
age their own affairs. When a group can administer 


INEFFICIENCY OF GROUPS 


31 


its own affairs, all the nations feel that they can 
have equal treatment, but when an alien power ad¬ 
ministers affairs, it is feared that other nations will 
not receive equal treatment with the administrator. 
Thus the failure on the part of a group to manifest 
collective efficiency causes conditions to exist that 
are the sources of serious discord among the great 
nations of the earth. 

When at the close of the world war many groups 
that had been held in subjection were set free, there 
was no powerful voice lifted in behalf of Africa. 
On the contrary, it was insisted that there should 
be, on the part of Europe, no withdrawal from 
Africa on the ground that this would but leave the 
continent free for the inroads of the brown race 
from Asia. The weakness of Africa, then, lays the 
basis for the argument against her release. 

China has vast resources in men and materials, 
but seems unable to assemble them behind her 
problems. This weakness has invited the attention 
of the Japanese, and this attention on her part has 
excited the interest of the United States, which re¬ 
gards the peace of the world as being threatened by 
the resources which Japan could extract from 
China. Thus the weakness of China is drawing 
Japan and the United States face to face in a way 
that has in it the possibilities of great harm. 

How the lack of collective efficiency menaces the 


32 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


peace of the world is illustrated by the following 
editorial comment of a newspaper concerning 
China: 

“Potentially the strongest nation in the world 
today, China is in reality the weakest, and her 
weakness has been, and still is, the greatest menace 
to peace in the far east. Whereas, her strength 
should now be the most potent factor in preserving 
the peace of the Orient, it is her impotency that is 
the biggest obstacle to the success of the Washing¬ 
ton conference, called as much for the settlement 
of far eastern questions as for securing a limita¬ 
tion of the armed strength of the world.” 

According to Dr. Arthur Judson Brown, it was 
the weakness of the Koreans that forced the Japa¬ 
nese to take control of their country, a thing which 
is now bitterly resented by the Koreans. Dr. 
Brown says of the Japanese: “They were forced 
to occupy Korea to prevent a Russian occupation, 
which would have menaced their own independ¬ 
ence as a nation. They are struggling with their 
burden against heavy odds, with limited financial 
resources, and against the dislike and opposition 
of Koreans, Russians, Chinese, and most of the 
foreigners in the Far East.” 

At the time of the Battle of Manila Bay the Fili¬ 
pinos had not manifested collective efficiency and 
were regarded as lacking in elements indispensable 


INEFFICIENCY OF GROUPS 


33 


for such a showing. Because of this weakness the 
people of the United States took over the political 
control of the island, thus temporarily obscuring 
the ideals of the nation. The country that had 
proudly stood out for the doctrine that “govern¬ 
ments derive their just powers from the consent of 
the governed,” felt impelled to take a course that 
seemed to be a contradiction of that doctrine. It 
was argued that the weakness of the Filipinos 
forced this attitude upon the nation, as their aban¬ 
donment would have resulted, it was feared, in 
their being seized by stronger powers to foster 
selfish ends. The absence of collective efficiency in 
the Filipinos thus caused the United States to be 
quoted as against its own ideals during the time 
taken by the Filipinos to develop the full power to 
stand alone. 

In the State of Georgia there is a religious or¬ 
ganization that has several hundred thousand 
members. Among this number there are many 
who are rated as wealthy, many who have been 
well educated, and some who are very eloquent in 
speech. This organization established a reforma¬ 
tory to care for juvenile delinquents that developed 
in the group served by it. Here was a collective 
task, the successful handling of which would have 
been a display of collective efficiency. A committee 
appointed by this organization to make inquiry as 


34 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


to the status of the undertakings fostered by it re¬ 
ported “that the Reformatory had been ordered 
closed by the welfare department of the state and 
that the conditions as found and reported by the 
welfare department were deplorable and little less 
than a common nuisance that ought to be abated at 
once both in the interest of health and good 
morals.” 

A certain city contained a group of people more 
than fifty thousand in number. They had among 
them many persons with splendid education and 
others that were successful in business and the 
various professions. They had many churches that 
were well attended. Within the limits of this city 
there was but one orphan asylum conducted by it 
in the interest of orphans found in this group. The 
secretary of the State Board of Charities visited 
this orphanage, and in the course of a letter thus 
described conditions there: “The woman (in charge 
)f the orphanage) is sincere, honest, a hard worker, 
and is thoroughly in love with her work. She gets 
nothing but a bare living out of it. She has no 
means with which to carry on the work, neither has 
she organizing or executive ability to lay a good 
foundation for such a work. She has had at times 
as many as twenty-five little children, all orphans, 
in her care; but being without facilities, even as 
much as a comfortable house and the most essen- 


INEFFICIENCY OF GROUPS 


35 


tial furnishings, we were compelled to order her 
home closed and the children got rid of. She com¬ 
plied with our request and got rid of all but eleven 
waifs whom nobody claimed and whom nobody 
wanted 

“You will remember, when we visited this home 
recently, that we were impressed with the horrible 
conditions. She did not even have a cooking stove 
or any facilities for heating the building. The 
window panes were out, the roof was leaking, the 
chimney was falling; there were no chairs, no table, 
nor enough furniture in the house to make it fit for 
human habitation; and yet her children were clean 
and seemed to be happy, and she herself was trust¬ 
ing the good * * * people to keep her going. 
Her children are bound to suffer from cold during 
the severe winter months. Such condition does not 
reflect on this good-hearted woman, but on the in¬ 
telligent citizenship who would not tolerate such 
condition if they knew it, and I believe that your 
committee is the proper channel through which this 
matter might be brought to the attention of the 
public.” In the same letter the secretary com¬ 
mented upon similar institutions conducted by 
another group. He said that this other group had 
“the largest number, the best supported, best 
equipped and most properly conducted charitable 
institutions in the State.” 


36 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


The difference between the single miserably con¬ 
ducted institution of the one group, and the suc¬ 
cessful many of the other, was not to be accounted 
for by alleging a lack of funds or intelligence on 
the part of the failing group. It was simply a case 
of failing to manifest collective efficiency. 

It is the mission of the poet to interpret the 
deeper life of a people. Whatever the surface 
manifestations may be, it is his mission to pene¬ 
trate into and reveal the heart of things. No poet 
of our day, perhaps, has had a wider hearing or a 
greater opportunity to gauge the spirit of our 
times than Mr. Rudyard Kipling. He says: 

“It ain’t the guns nor armament, nor funds that 
they can pay, 

But the close co-operation that makes them win the 
day. 

It ain’t the individuals, nor the army as a whole, 
But the everlastin’ teamwork of every blooming 
soul.” 

The great outstanding figure of the world in the 
days when the world war reached its crisis was 
President Wilson of the United States. He was the 
leader of the nation that had the moral power and 
the material resources to end the terrific struggle. 
After the entrance of this country into the strug¬ 
gle, he became the moral leader of the dominant 
forces of the world, and to that extent was, for the 


INEFFICIENCY OF GROUPS 


37 


time being, the shaper of the destiny of the human 
race. A man who played an important part in caus¬ 
ing Mr. Wilson to reach this responsible position 

was the late Mr.-. It was he who had 

charge of the campaign of Mr. Wilson in his first 
contest for nomination as a candidate for the presi¬ 
dency. The success of that campaign paved the 
way for the future successes of Mr. Wilson. Mr. 
-was not made a member of Mr. Wil¬ 
son’s cabinet, and failed of any important share of 
the glory that later came to the man whom he had 
so signally helped to put forward. Why? 

These are said to be Mr. Wilson’s words account¬ 
ing for his failure to put Mr. -in his 

cabinet: “I have not seriously considered the claims 

of Mr.-for a cabinet post * * * Mr. 

-is a man of fine intellect, but he is never 

satisfied unless he is playing the stellar role, and I 
am afraid he cannot work in harness with other 
men, and I should never get any real teamwork 
from him.” 

Does the great God of the universe have the same 
sort of mind with reference to races? A race of 
men may be noted for mental ability, kindliness of 
heart, and martial courage of a high order, but if 
its internal condition shows that it lacks the capa¬ 
bility for teamwork, it will not be summoned to the 
council table of the great powers of the earth. If 







38 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


this is the law of the universe, fruitless indeed will 
be the efforts of a race to secure full recognition in 
any way other than that of developing the capa¬ 
bility for co-operation. 

In whatever direction we turn we find evils grow¬ 
ing out of the lack of the possession of collective 
efficiency. Prof. Shailer Matthews says: “The de¬ 
generation of the social nature that arises from the 
neglect of social duties unfits a man for, or par¬ 
ticipation in, the enjoyment of the ideal life. Self¬ 
ishness—that is, an over-developed individualism— 
must, according to the laws of nature, result in 
abnormality and consequent suffering.” 

Does a race aspire to occupy the highest ranks? 
Does it wish to escape the burdens and heartaches 
that are the accompaniments of a low estate ? Does 
it covet the respect of all mankind ? Does it wish 
to enjoy the highest blessings that earth affords? 
Does it desire to be able to respect itself in the inner 
recesses of its soul? Then let it remember how 
exalted is the goal of collective efficiency. Let it 
gird its loins with a grave determination to pay to 
the utmost farthing the price of reaching it. 


CHAPTER IV 


NATURE’S TWO CLASSES 

What is it in the spirit of a man that keeps him 
from being co-operative, and what is it in the 
spirits of men that causes them to lack efficiency as 
groups ? Let us face the grim fact that it is nat¬ 
ural for some things to be divisive and for others to 
be co-operative. As to why nature makes such a 
division it is not the mission of this work to point 
out. But it is highly important that we should 
know—and know thoroughly—that when we are 
dealing with individuals with separative tenden¬ 
cies we are dealing with the forces of nature. 

Let us note the very plain manner in which 
nature has divided things into two classes in all her 
realms. 

Force is of two kinds, centrifugal and centrip¬ 
etal, the former driving a revolving body from 
the center, and the latter drawing it towards the 
center. 

* * * 

Mineral matter, plants, insects, lower animals 
and human beings may be divided into two cate¬ 
gories—the individualistic and the co-operative. 

Atoms composing a gaseous substance are indi- 

39 


40 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


vidualistic in tendency, each seeking to get away 
from its neighbor and being held in proximity to 
its neighbor only in proportion to the nearness of 
the outside pressure. 

Nitrogen is an element needed by all plants to 
make protoplasm, but it is a poor co-operator. It is 
noted for its slight tendency to combine with other 
elements. Though needed by the plants, it cannot 
be taken by them in a pure state from either soil, 
water or air. On the roots of certain plants there 
are found little swellings which contain bacteria, 
and these alone, of all the plants, are able to take 
the free nitrogen from the air. And then they 
must make it over into a form that can be used by 
the roots. 

On the other hand, hydrogen is an element that 
affiliates with other elements with great readiness. 
It is a spontaneous co-operator. It is its nature to 
leap into combination with other elements. 

The atoms constituting steel are co-operative in 
tendency, clinging to each other tenaciously, and 
separating only as the result of outside pressure 
applied with drastic force. 

* * * 

The Venus Fly-trap is a plant whose blades have 
two halves that close together and catch flies that 
chance to light on the sensitive hairs of the blades. 

On the other hand, there are flowers that co- 


NATURE'S TWO CLASSES 


41 


operate with the bees, yielding to them pollen and 
receiving from them the service that enables them 
to put forth their blooms. 

The Amoeba is a tiny animal of the sea which 
has a separative nature operating within its own 
being, causing it to divide into two equal parts as 
soon as it is grown, and causing each of the parts 
to do the same, on and on through life. 

The sponge is made up of little animals of the sea 
that go together to live and to form a permanent 
colony, the members of which cling together after 
death. * * * 

Among the individualistic insects are to be found 
the flies, butterflies, grasshoppers, the solitary bee 
and the “Praying Mantis.” The Mantis comes into 
conscious existence not only inclined not to co-oper¬ 
ate with its immediate kin, but disposed from the 
beginning toward suspicion, and warring against 
its brothers and sisters. The female Mantis finally 
rounds out her career of anti-co-operation by eat¬ 
ing her husband. 

Some of the co-operative insects are ants, hor¬ 
nets, wasps and social bees. The social bee mani¬ 
fests in a high degree the co-operative bent. 

* * * 

Among the birds the eagle is individualistic. 

The African weaver birds are co-operative. As 
many as 320 nests have been found joined together. 


42 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


The mole and the fox are individualistic animals. 

The wolf and the beaver are animals that have 
the co-operative bent, it being more pronounced 
in the beaver than in the wolf, the latter confining 
its co-operation to searching and fighting for food. 
* * * 

All races of men have some measure of the co¬ 
operative bent and are to be divided into individ¬ 
ualistic or co-operative groups in proportion as 
individualism or co-operation predominates. There¬ 
fore, in all individualistic human groups there will 
be a measure of co-operation, and in all co-opera¬ 
tive groups a measure of individualism. 

Out of the groups in which the co-operative 
spirit is predominant, we get the great govern¬ 
ments of the world. The groups in which the co¬ 
operative spirit is weak constitute what are termed 
backward races. 

Here we have two chains—the individualistic 
and the co-operative. We have in the individual¬ 
istic chain centrifugal force, gas, amoebae, flies, 
butterflies, grasshoppers, solitary bees, moles, and 
the feebly co-operating groups of men. In the co¬ 
operative chain we have centripetal force, steel, 
sponges, ants, hornets, wasps, social bees, wolves, 
beavers, and the groups of men with a well de¬ 
veloped faculty for co-operation. 


CHAPTER V 


INDIVIDUALISM 

What is it in the nature of a spirit that causes 
it to be a separator, a divider, a failure as a co- 
operator? What is it in the spirit of a man that 
gives him a hazy view of every relationship of civic 
life ? It is individualism; and we shall now unfold 
its workings in the individual and in the group. 

To get a clear conception of the viewpoint of the 
individualist as compared with that of the co-oper¬ 
ator, we cite the respective courses followed by the 
white corpuscles of blood and the tubercular germ 
in the human body. The white corpuscle seeks to 
take care of its own interests but is careful not to 
do so at the expense of the body. While it eats, it 
eats nothing that impairs the efficiency of the body. 
On the other hand, the tubercular germ establishes 
itself in vital tissue and proceeds to multiply and 
eat, utterly unmindful of the fact that it is pur¬ 
suing a course that must destroy the body. “Am I 
not in the world for the purpose of satisfying my 
own desires?” is the question which the tubercular 
germ and the individualist answer in the affirma¬ 
tive when they act according to the law of their 
natures. 


43 


44 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


According to the natural viewpoint of the in¬ 
dividualist, he is the center of the universe. Every 
question that arises with reference to the relation 
that he is to sustain toward anything else is an¬ 
swered with reference to its effect upon his desires. 

The individualist is so sure that his tubercular 
viewpoint of life is right that to him an altruist is 
either a rank fool, or some one merely posing as 
having an interest in society superior to his in¬ 
terest in himself. 

To the individualist the presence of his fellows 
is just that much of an opportunity to appropriate 
in one way or another whatever pleases him. 
There are, of course, limitations beyond which the 
individualist will not go, but as far as he does go 
his avowed aim is not to benefit society but himself. 
He looks upon the less informed and weaker mem¬ 
bers of his group as legitimate prey, placed in his 
reach to exploit. Therefore, one of the first tasks 
of the individualist is to kill off the altruist. The 
fool, as he calls him, is in his way. It is thus that 
the life of an altruist, of a true co-operator is a 
hard one in the midst of an individualistic group. 

A person who is an individualist by nature does 
not, cannot view a trust as being something sacred, 
but regards it as something offering him a golden 
opportunity for self aggrandizement that must 
not be overlooked. He reasons thus: Is it not 


INDIVIDUALISM 


45 


one’s first business to look out for his own inter¬ 
ests? If people are so unwise as to put him in a 
position to wrong them to his own advantage, must 
he act a fool and let the advantage slip? 

When an individualist betrays a sacred trust he 
is dethroned if he is surrounded by people having 
the true co-operative nature. But when the be¬ 
trayal is made in a group predominantly individual¬ 
istic, his fellow-individualists are inclined to wor¬ 
ship him as a shrewd one who did the logical thing. 
For, “Is it not a fool who will let a chance for self 
aggrandizement pass because of a scruple?” is the 
feeling of the individualists that pass judgment on 
the course of the betrayers. 

Personal success alienates the individualist from 
the group. When in the ranks, he exhibits enough 
of the co-operative spirit to win the degree of co¬ 
operation which he needs; but when the day of suc¬ 
cess comes his heart hardens toward the people 
who gave it to him. In this way groups character¬ 
ized by individualism are constantly losing the 
services of those whom they elevate to higher 
realms. 

Under individualism, through the elevation 
of personal interests above the general welfare, 
there comes a needless duplication of organiza¬ 
tions. 

Elect an individualist to an office, and he grows 


46 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


to regard it as his personal possession. He loses 
sight of the fact that the office belongs to the people 
and is only held in trust by him for a stated time. 
When the favor of the people changes and the office 
is given to another, the individualist resents what 
he regards as an effort to relegate him to the rear. 
He regards his own personal standing as a matter 
of greater consequence than the welfare of the 
organization and proceeds to disrupt it in order 
that he may have a place in which to continue to 
shine. 

The persons in the organization who have the 
individualistic bent will consider that a wrong was 
done when the office was taken away and given to 
another. Having the individualistic outlook, they 
will see matters in this light and will join with the 
disrupter. It is thus that individualism causes a 
needless duplication of organizations. 

Not only will an individualist tear asunder an 
organization rather than suffer himself to be put 
out of office, but he will also disrupt an organiza¬ 
tion with the hope of getting some office which he 
conceived to be out of his reach in the original or¬ 
ganization. Individualism, which, by its very 
nature divides, subdivides and keeps divided that 
which should be united, at this point gets in some of 
its most deadly blows, serving to prevent the de¬ 
velopment of collective efficiency. The findings of 


INDIVIDUALISM 


47 


biology on this subject are thus stated by Professor 
Patten, the biologist: “No animal of this kind ever 
attained a high grade of organic efficiency, no 
doubt because of the very multiplicity of parts do¬ 
ing essentially the same things, and because one 
part either does not, or is unable efficiently to serve 
the other.” The presence of numerous, needless 
organizations is a certain sign of the presence of 
rank individualism. 

Not only does the individualist divide organiza¬ 
tions so that he may shine more effectively, but he 
will, if possible, prevent the blending of organiza¬ 
tions, if he thinks that in the blended organization 
he will not shine as effectively as he did before the 
blend. While individualism can, and often does, 
operate to produce unnecessary divisions, at times 
it operates in the opposite direction. Sometimes, 
for the sake of more efficient administration, there 
should be a division of work and responsibility. 
But when a division would not cripple efficiency 
but greatly contribute thereto, an individualist at 
the head of an organization too ponderous for the 
best results, objects to the division because of a 
feeling that it would reduce his personal prestige. 

Individualism causes institutions designed for 
the public good to be converted into agencies for 
serving personal ends, primarily. 

Conventions, associations, fraternal organiza- 


48 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

tions, churches, and other like institutions, are de¬ 
signed for public welfare. In a group where in¬ 
dividualism is the predominating characteristic, 
men will arise to power in these organizations, and 
will cause them to contribute mainly to the per¬ 
sonal welfare of individuals. This, will be done 
not only to the extent of the splendid rewards that 
ought to come to individuals for exceptional serv¬ 
ices, but far beyond what reasonably should be 
expected. 

We cite an example of the point here made. The 
bishopric is an institution created for the common 
good, but it can be converted into an agency for the 
enrichment of the holders of the office, and this is 
exactly what would happen in a group built up 
along individualistic lines and with the individual¬ 
istic outlook on life. Well, a certain man was ele¬ 
vated to the bishopric and was paid a very re¬ 
spectable salary for his services. Because of his 
long years of service a testimonial was arranged 
in his honor, and a purse of several thousand dol¬ 
lars was given him as a present. After that the 
matter was made an annual affair and the follow¬ 
ing newspaper comment was made concerning it: 
“The reception has become an annual fete which 
takes from it the spirit of a testimonial and sub¬ 
stitutes therefor a fever of graft and greed.” 

The ballot is an instrument of co-operation. It 


INDIVIDUALISM 


49 


does not belong to the individual but to the social 
body. It is merely placed in the individual’s hands 
as a means of recording his opinion as to what is 
best for the social body. But the individualist will 
regard the ballot as his personal property to be 
disposed of for his personal profit just as he would 
dispose of any other item of property which he 
considered his own. This fact accounts for the ease 
with which individualists can be corrupted in 
elections. 

A newspaper is a social institution. It exists as 
a result of the co-operation of the publisher and 
the reader. Each is under obligations to the other. 
But when an individualist comes into possession of 
a newspaper, he looks upon it as a means for per¬ 
sonal gain. He does not view the paper as some¬ 
thing that should primarily serve the interests of 
the public, but as something designed to increase 
his personal fortune. Not the news that helps so¬ 
ciety, but that which increases sales and adds to 
profits is what is furnished. 

When an individualist is a publisher, since his 
mind runs in the individualistic channel, he will 
think that he is conducting an ideal publication in 
giving prominence to noted individuals, without re¬ 
gard to their services to the public. A co-operator 
honors individuals in proportion as they serve the 
public. The individualists honor individuals for 


50 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


their own sake, hence the attitude of the individ¬ 
ualist who is a publisher. 

A publication in individualistic hands will seek 
success regardless of the effect on the public wel¬ 
fare of the methods employed. The late Dr. Ly¬ 
man Abbott thus attacks the journalism that is 
selfish in character: “Teach this American peo¬ 
ple to read, and all will go well with it/ Well, we 
do read, we do write. And what is it that we read 
and write? Take an instance: A horrible mur¬ 
der was discovered and the headless trunk was 
found floating in the river. One of our modern 
journals made a picture of the place and a picture 
of the crowd looking on, and a picture of the trunk, 
with all the marks to show where the head was 
taken off and what limbs were gone. Another 
journal interviewed one who had committed a hor¬ 
rible murder only a few months before, and had 
decapitated the victim and had carried the trunk 
off in one quarter and the head in another—inter¬ 
viewed him to get his expert judgment as a mur¬ 
derer on the question how this newer murder was 
committed; and the expert murderer was proud of 
the interview that had been accorded him. And 
this is what we are getting by the simple ability to 
discriminate what we read and write, without the 
moral ability to discriminate what we read and 
what we write. We have a little discrimination. 


INDIVIDUALISM 


51 


It is mostly apparent in our wives and our mothers. 
They will not have these journals in the house. So, 
out of respect for them, we do not subscribe for 
them; but as soon as we go out of the house, we 
buy them of the newsboys and read them on the 
trains. There ought to be such a public sentiment 
in America, and it ought to go forth from the 
Christian churches, that a man would count him¬ 
self disgraced if there was seen in his hand some 
papers which I will not mention, because I do not 
care to advertise them. Can you not see whither 
we are going? Can you not see the tendency of 
this vile journalism? I do not say we shall reach 
the result (God grant that we do not!), but can 
you see what it means? First, we have yellow- 
covered stories that tell of all awful horrors. When 
there has been educated a constituency by that 
literature, and the boys and girls have grown to 
men and women, there grows up a press that elab¬ 
orates with great exaggeration all suicides, mur¬ 
ders, and horrible crimes. Now we are feeding on 
those. Do you know what comes next? When 
Rome was no longer satisfied with mimic shows 
of horror, she made real ones. When she was no 
longer sufficiently satisfied with the tragic stories, 
she made actual tragedies—flung over men to wild 
beasts in spectacular shows that she might rejoice 
in their agonies. That is the way in which we are 


52 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


walking. You can not feed children on yellow- 
covered stories without raising men and women 
that want yellow newspapers; and you can not 
feed men and women on yellow newspapers with¬ 
out kindling a passion that will want tragedy in 
actual life, and will make it when it does not come 
itself.” 

The public school is a social agency wholly, but in 
the hands of individualists this viewpoint can be 
lost sight of entirely. An individualist as a teacher 
will regard his job as a place to make money for 
himself. He will be but little interested in what 
the school does for the community, but much con¬ 
cerned as to how much it helps him forward. 

The individualistic viewpoint will be employed 
by individualists in making selection of teachers 
for public schools. The good of the school should 
be the controlling element in making choice of a 
teacher, but an individualist will allow his personal 
likes or dislikes for a candidate to influence his 
course. It is a triumph of individualism to allow 
the personal spleen of individuals to cause the re¬ 
moval of a teacher when the highest interests of 
the school and the public would be served by his 
being retained. 

On the other hand, when pleased personally, one 
with the individualistic viewpoint will easily grow 
to regard the position of teacher as belonging to 


INDIVIDUALISM 


53 


the teacher. When a teacher’s position is looked 
upon as belonging to the teacher and not to the 
public, the way is paved for retaining the teacher 
in the position even when the interests of the school 
or the public call for a change. 

Moreover a public school planted in the midst of 
a group of individualists will be allowed by them 
to become essentially an individual enterprise. 
They will visit it but little, and will give but little 
thought and effort to its betterment. Those in im¬ 
mediate charge of the school will be left to do prac¬ 
tically all that is to be done. Such schools will not 
and can not have the success that comes to schools 
located in the midst of groups whose members are 
not dwarfed by individualism. 

The mission of the church is to promote the 
common good. In the hands of individualists it 
will be diverted from its true mission. The leader 
of the church is properly its servant, whose true 
function it is to minister and not to be ministered 
unto. When groups that are predominantly in¬ 
dividualistic develop churches, they will be found 
to be more largely devoted to the enrichment of a 
leader than to the carrying forward of the real 
mission of the church. 

On the other hand, individualism, working in 
the opposite direction causes too little to be done 
for the leaders of the churches. Individualistic 


54 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


natures, being primarily concerned about what is 
coming to them in the way of satisfaction, fail to 
think of the muzzled ox that is treading out the 
grain. The ideal church is a church free from in¬ 
dividualism in pastor and congregation, a church 
in which the pastor thinks first and most largely 
for the common good, and the congregation gives 
due care to his needs. Individualism prevents this 
nice balancing. 

The mere presence of wealth in a group of in¬ 
dividualists is of no great value to the group. 
Those who have it will have the egoistic outlook on 
life and will feel that the chief mission of the 
money in their possession is to minister to their 
personal needs. Money in the possession of a co- 
operator, even when held together, will be used 
in the ways to promote the common good. 

Individualism operates to prevent proper ver¬ 
dicts at the polls upon issues affecting the public 
welfare. It is the purpose of elections to afford 
opportunities for expression of opinions with re¬ 
gard to policies to be pursued in the public inter¬ 
est. But when men are fundamentally egoistic, 
fundamentally inclined to measure all things from 
the personal viewpoint, they approach the matter 
of voting with their minds centered upon personal 
ends, either for themselves or for those whom 
they admire. Shrewd politicians discover the 


INDIVIDUALISM 


55 


groups that view matters from the personal angle 
and they capture this strength by doing personal 
things. When word can be passed around citing 
satisfactory personal rewards, questions touching 
the general welfare will be ignored in groups 
where individualism prevails. It may be that a 
candidate for office has allowed dens of vice to 
flourish, has winked at corruption, has been false 
to high ideals; yet this candidate will be able to 
hold the support of individualists, provided he can 
show a satisfactory record with regard to personal 
favors bestowed. 

A national organization representing a certain 
group waged a notable nation-wide campaign in 
the interest of a matter affecting the general life 
of the group. The organization was sharply criti¬ 
cised by members of the group in whose interest 
the campaign was waged. The organization’s rep¬ 
resentatives issued a statement to the effect that 
the criticism to which they were subjected would 
have been different if they had waged a campaign 
in favor of office-holding on the part of individuals 
of the group. If that charge is true it simply 
means that the organization in question is dealing 
with constituents built up along individualistic 
lines—constituents, who by their very nature lay 
greater store by the individual than by the group. 
According to Tennyson, this is contrary to the 


56 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


workings of Nature, which he describes thus in 
his poem, ‘In Memoriam’: 

“So careful of the type, she seems, 

So careless of the single life.” 

In all groups where individualism predominates 
there is a lack of adequate support of leaders from 
attacks born of jealousy. Leadership involves the 
possession of exceptional talents, and the posses¬ 
sion of exceptional talents begets jealousies. 
Where men are exclusively engrossed with per¬ 
sonal interests, they fail to help those afflicted by 
the handicaps born of a jealous spirit. 

Behold then the fate of the man of exceptional 
strength in the midst of- an individualistic group. 
His first battle is with the jealousies of those who 
themselves would like to sit in the seat of power. 
Of course this contest goes on in all groups of men. 
But, in groups where individualism prevails, the 
neutrals who constitute the overwhelming masses, 
and who could determine issues, often are so en¬ 
grossed with their individual tasks as to leave the 
exceptional man to battle single-handed with those 
contending with him. In the co-operative groups 
where the units have acquired the habit of throw¬ 
ing themselves whole-heartedly and readily into 
the tasks of others, they go to the rescue of the 
exceptional character. In this way he has a better 
chance to survive than in the groups where individ- 


INDIVIDUALISM 57 

ualism predominates, and where he is left alone to 
contend with those whose chief purpose is to pre¬ 
vent his acquisition of honor. The individualistic 
groups, therefore, cannot possibly develop great 
leaders in numbers equal to those developed in the 
co-operative groups; nor can such leaders as are 
developed devote as much time to constructive 
efforts as the leaders in co-operative groups, be¬ 
cause more time must be devoted to defending 
themselves from attacks born of the spirit of 
jealousy. Much constructive and creative energy 
is allowed to go to waste while the man who could 
advance the cause of the group must battle for 
existence. 

Individualism blights the spirit of reform by de¬ 
nying it proper co-operation. An individualist 
stands ready to co-operate with the man who en¬ 
joys public favor, in order that he may fall heir to 
his reflected light. But a man enjoying public 
favor may also be a man holding the people to an 
erroneous course. Individualism therefore op¬ 
erates in a manner to foster the continuance of 
error by causing men to support a popular man 
though in the wrong. 

The reformer’s task is by its very nature an un¬ 
popular task. Where individualism prevails and 
units give primary consideration to their own 
welfare, they do not lend to the embryonic re- 


58 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


formers the amount of co-operation necessary for 
the reform to get a proper footing. Therefore, 
where individualism prevails there is an abun¬ 
dance of abortive reform movements. 

Power is a sacred trust committed to the care of 
the holder for the common good. When the in¬ 
dividualist has power he is willing to use it for the 
selfish purpose of perpetuating himself in power. 
An individualist aspiring for power is willing to 
resort to methods to gain his end that will work 
injury to the social body. As he regards himself as 
the center of all things, and all things as revolving 
around himself, it does not matter to him to what 
extent he upsets the social body; he is not con¬ 
cerned about the sort of opinion that a social body 
is creating by virtue of his activities. He will pro¬ 
voke any sort of crisis for his own good at the ex¬ 
pense of the public good. What does he care for 
the opinion being formed of his group, so long as 
he is achieving that which pleases him? The bat¬ 
tles of individualists for places of power are among 
the greatest retarding forces in the matter of de¬ 
veloping collective efficiency. Individualism clash¬ 
ing with individualism has caused the wrecking of 
many groups. 

When an individualist is in power he will allow 
his fears with regard to his own future to in¬ 
fluence his choice of assistants. He will refuse to 


INDIVIDUALISM 


59 


engage the services of any able man who might 
develop strength enough to be his rival. The true 
co-operator will not give exclusive attention to his 
own welfare. Where the vital needs of the group 
are clearly at stake the true co-operator when in a 
position of authority will choose help according to 
the needs of the group, regardless of the effect of 
his selections on his own personal fortunes. 

Individualism operates to prevent the develop¬ 
ment of a general leadership. 

All groups, whether among animals or men, that 
are lacking in collective efficiency, are also deficient 
in general leadership. It is important to note how 
individualism prevents the coming of effective 
leadership, a thing so very necessary for the pos¬ 
session of collective efficiency. The members of a 
group of individualists come to know each other 
as individualists, come to know themselves as being 
inclined to look out for their respective interests 
at the expense of the interests of the group. Know¬ 
ing this of themselves they will distrust each other 
thoroughly, will fail to give to any one of their 
number the measure of confidence that must ac¬ 
company all effective leadership. 

In the case of individualists this suspicion is a 
necessity, just as necessary as it is for the Pray¬ 
ing Mantis to watch all of his brothers and sisters, 
every one of which is ready to devour him at the 


60 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


first good opportunity. When individualists lay 
their suspicions aside because of some extraordi¬ 
nary influence and repose confidence in a fellow 
individualist, the recipient of this confidence will, 
sooner or later, betray this confidence. 

Should there appear in an individualistic group 
one who is not an individualist, one who is ear¬ 
nestly seeking the good of all, the normal atmos¬ 
phere of suspicion that envelops the group of in¬ 
dividualists will wrap itself about him as well. 
When the members of a group are looking at things 
through the eyes of individualists, they will im¬ 
pute something sinister to him who is not an in¬ 
dividualist, it matters not how worthy what he 
offers may be. The individualists will falsely teach 
the people to look for evil out of the heart of him 
who would do them good, and this cultivated, yet 
groundless suspicion will cling with great tenacity 
to those who are individualists by nature and are 
expecting all others to be likewise. 

In every group of men afflicted with individ¬ 
ualism look for these things—an absence of general 
leadership, a multitude of minor leaders warring 
among themselves, distrust of altruistic spirits, 
and a general complaint that there is an absence 
of confidence. But groups cursed with individ¬ 
ualism can no more have the needed trust than the 
equator can carry a thick belt of snow. 


INDIVIDUALISM 


61 


Men are bound to draw lessons from experience, 
and when they see cause after cause go down be¬ 
cause of the betrayal of sacred trusts begotten by 
the spirit of individualism, it is very natural that 
there should be a marked degree of suspicion. This 
suspicion will be found to embrace not only those 
that deserve it, but some who do not deserve it. 

Again, anyone who deviates from the beaten 
path to pursue a course which he is thoroughly 
convinced will be for the good of the people, is very 
likely to have thrown over him the blanket of sus¬ 
picion woven by a group in which individualism 
has so often manifested itself. Suspicion is the 
native air of a condition of individualism. 

Under the reign of individualism, social agencies 
for opposing those things that endanger society 
are lacking, or are but feebly supported, thus al¬ 
lowing evils to multiply and become menacing. 

We have seen that individualism operates to 
hamper the strong men in a group. It also has a 
baneful influence over the weaker units. In every 
group there are those who stand in need of co¬ 
operation. There are the children, the lame, the 
halt, the blind, the sick, the aged, and those morally 
defective—all needing assistance. Whenever this 
assistance fails to come, evil results to society fol¬ 
low. Individualism operates to prevent the carry¬ 
ing forward of matters of this kind in three ways. 


62 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


In the first place, individualism prevents the de¬ 
velopment of a sufficient number of leaders inter¬ 
ested in aiding those who need help. In the next 
place, individualism, gripping the hearts of the 
people, prevents a sufficient amount of co-opera¬ 
tion from being extended to such leaders as do 
arise. And in* the third place, individualism 
operates to cause some who do take the lead in such 
matters to take advantage of the sentiment in 
favor of helping the needy and use that sentiment 
in the building up of their own private interests. 

Nature has her suggestion with regard to the 
group that, because of individualism, has no way 
of taking care of its wastage. Both plants and ani¬ 
mals have nitrogenous waste. The animals have a 
way of discharging their waste while the plants 
have not. The result is that animals are vigorous 
while the plants are all the while half asleep. And 
just as the failure to get rid of waste affects the 
life of plants, so the failure to take care of the weak 
elements of society piles up evils of various kinds 
that constantly threaten society’s foundation. 

Individualists do not create progressive socie¬ 
ties, do not make good citizens, but operate in the 
direction of destroying such societies as they enter. 
It is individualism that is the great separative 
force among men, the great foe of co-operation, 
the nemesis of collective efficiency. 


CHAPTER VI 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 

Can an individualistic spirit be changed? Can 
a separator be turned into a co-operator? If the 
groups of men that lack collective efficiency are 
living only according to their natures, why inquire 
further into this matter? Can human nature be 
changed ? Can a spirit of one type be so altered as 
to entitle it to a wholly different classification? 
Can a spirit that is fundamentally separative 
be so remade as to become a thoroughly co¬ 
operative one ? Can the groups that lack collective 
efficiency be so transformed as to be able to mani¬ 
fest this power? This is a matter of supreme im¬ 
portance, as those who are in the co-operative class 
by virtue of the natures they possess constitute 
only a small minority of the human race. The 
overwhelming millions yet have spirits that are 
fundamentally separative in character. 

What does nature suggest with regard to this 
matter? Just as we find in all her realms the sepa¬ 
ration of things into two opposing classes, we find 
also that complete transformations are possible. 
That the lessons to be learned from nature point 


64 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


to what we may expect to find among men is in¬ 
dicated by the following quotations: 

Prof. Ellsworth Huntington, research Associate 
in Geography in Yale University, says: “The more 
we study the matter, the more we see that from 
the lowest protozoan to the highest philosopher a 
marvelous unity pervades all nature.” 

Mr. Luther Burbank, foremost plant breeder of 
the world: “I hope that the same laws, as far as 
practicable, which I have discovered and demon¬ 
strated in plant life, will be applied to the improve¬ 
ment of human life.” 

Mr. H. G. Wells: “All living things, past and 
present, agree in possessing a certain power of 
growth, all living things take nourishment, all 
living things move about as they feed and grow, 
though the movement be no more than the spread 
of roots through the soil, or of branches in the air. 
Moreover, living things reproduce * * * No 
living thing goes on living forever.” 

In view of the “marvelous unity that pervades 
all nature,” we shall now consider her plain teach¬ 
ings concerning transformation. There was a 
time when chemists believed in the immutability 
of the elements, holding that “each element is itself 
and no other.” But the discoveries in chemistry 
in the twentieth century have upset that belief en¬ 
tirely, and it is now definitely known that “the 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 65 


element uranium may in part change into radium 
and some other elements.” There is no substance 
known to man more powerful than radium, and yet 
it can come into existence as a result of transfor¬ 
mation. As our study of this matter proceeds we 
shall find likewise that the greatest nations of the 
earth are the results of transformation. 

There is an electrical transformer which pro¬ 
duces an electric current from another that is dif¬ 
ferent in character. Many things which nature 
now presents in a cohesive state were formerly in a 
different condition under different circumstances. 
Iron, nickel, copper and tin are very cohesive here 
on the earth, but these substances are even now in 
a gaseous state in the blazing sun, so hot is the at¬ 
mosphere. Here we have an example of wonderful 
transformation, gases transformed into such solid 
cohesive substances as iron, nickel and so forth. 

Transformations have been made in the vege¬ 
table kingdom. Our Indian corn is held to be grass 
that has been transformed. An onion has been 
produced, it is claimed, without the offensive odor. 
A new German invention transforms pine, poplar 
and other ordinary woods into hard wood com¬ 
parable in all respects to mahogany, ebony and the 
like. 

The following is a reference to Mr. Burbank as 
a transformer of plants: “After sixty years of 


66 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


plant breeding he enunciates the principle, ‘Plants 
are pliable and amenable to the will of man, but 
this has never been surmised by the general public 
until the last twenty-five years.’ 

“Agriculturalists a few years ago reported to 
Luther Burbank, foremost plant breeder in the 
world that the tall stalks on which sunflowers 
grew made it unhandy to harvest the seeds. Bur¬ 
bank set to work on the problem, and this year is 
marketing seeds of a new sunflower, which grows 
on a three-foot stalk. The bloom has been so 
greatly enlarged that it is a heavier producer of 
seeds than other varieties and the seeds are white.” 

M. Aristide Briand, seven times Premier of 
France, developed a belief that soil can be trans¬ 
formed. He bought a farm which was universally 
regarded as having poor soil. He had the soil an¬ 
alyzed, fed it things that it was found to need and 
in its transformed state it brought forth products 
that excelled those coming from surrounding 
farms where there had been no transformation of 
the soil. 

In the insect world, Nature stages many trans¬ 
formations. She seems especially fond of bringing 
things into the world in one shape and transform¬ 
ing them into something wholly different. Fabre 
tells us of the Capricorn, a beetle that begins its 
life as a grub inside of an oak tree where it lives for 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 67 


three years without sight, or hearing or smell. It 
constructs for itself a transformation chamber, 
first changes into a pupa, and later into a beetle. 
The Anthrax Fly is first an egg, then a larval form, 
then a second larval form, then a pupa, and last a 
fly, thus having five distinct forms of existence. 

Animals have been transformed to a marked 
degree. A dog is evidently a transformed wolf. 
Experiments have resulted in producing frogs, 
guinea pigs, foxes, wolves, sheep, antelope, deer, 
zebras and donkeys unafraid of snakes. Wild 
hares and wild birds have been produced unafraid 
of dogs. Young pigeons have been brought up 
living on raw meat, spurning grain as a food. Wild 
hares have been produced that burrow like rab¬ 
bits, a thing that they never do in their native state. 
The lion is by nature an individualist. As the king 
of the forest he has felt self-sufficient, but it is said 
that a change is taking place in the nature of lions 
of East Africa. The cubs are now staying with 
their mothers for a longer time and the result is 
that lions are being transformed into social 
beings. 

Mr. William T. Hornaday, Director of the Zoo¬ 
logical Park, N. Y., in his book, “The Minds and 
Manners of Wild Animals,” makes the following 
statements which testify to his belief that the na¬ 
tures of animals are transformable: 


68 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


“I have purposely avoided all temptations to dis¬ 
cuss the minds and manners of domestic animals, 
partly because that is by itself a large subject, and 
partly because their minds have been so greatly in¬ 
fluenced by long close association with man.” 

* * * * 

“Excepting the song birds, the wild creatures 
have learned through instinct and accumulated 
experience that silence promotes peace and long 
life. Association with man through countless gen¬ 
erations has taught domestic animals not only the 
fact of their safety when giving voice, but also that 
very often there is great virtue in a vigorous out¬ 
cry” * * * * 

“A naturalist like J. Alden Loving can by pa¬ 
tient effort win the confidence of a chickadee or a 
phoebe bird, and bring it literally to his finger, but 
they show conclusively that wild birds can be edu¬ 
cated into new ideas.” 

* * * * 

“The high-class domestic horse is a very wise 
and capable animal; but this is chiefly due to its 
age-long association with man, and to education 
by him. Mentally the wild horse is a very differ¬ 
ent animal and in the intellectual scale it ranks 
with the deer and antelope.” 

* * * * 

“Through the age-long habit of the American 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 69 


bison to live in large herds, and to feel generation 
after generation the sense of personal security, 
the bison acquired the reputation of being a stolid 
or even a stupid animal. Particularly was this the 
case in the days of the greatest bison destruction, 
when a still hunter could get a stand on a bunch of 
buffaloes quietly grazing at the edge of the great 
mass, and slowly and surely shoot down each ani¬ 
mal that attempted to lead that group away from 
the sound of his rifle. The fatal trouble was that 
the presence of a hundred or a thousand others 
feeding close by was an insurance of security to 
the individual, and so there was no stampede. How 
changed they were from the old days! Although 
only two short years had passed since the terrible 
slaughter of hundreds of thousands whose white 
skeletons then thickly dotted the Missouri-Yellow¬ 
stone divide, they had learned fear of man and also 
how to preserve themselves from that dangerous 
wild beast. 

“To kill the buffalo specimens that we needed, 
three cowboys and the writer worked hard for 
nearly three months, and it was all that we could 
do to outwit those man-scared bison, and to get 

near enough to them to kill what we required.” 

* * * * 

There is a vast difference between the elephants 
of India and those of Africa. The Indian elephant 


70 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


is a transformed animal. Mr. Hornaday refers to 
the difference thus: “The African species has 
never been tried out on the same long and wild 
basis as the Indian. No Negro tribe really likes to 
handle elephants and train them. The Indian na¬ 
tive loves the elephant, and enjoys training him 
and working with him.” It is these two conditions 
that have left the African elephant far behind the 
procession. * * * * 

Mr. Hornaday thus describes a performance of 
horses which he saw: “Various horses did various 
things. They fetched chairs, papers, hats and 
coats; opened desks, rang bells, came when called, 
bowed, knelt, and erased figures from a black¬ 
board. They danced a waltz, a clog dance, a figure 
8; they marched, halted, paced, trotted, galloped, 
backed, jumped, leaped over each other, performed 
with a barrel, a see-saw and a double see-saw. 
Their marching and drilling would have been a 
credit to a platoon of rookies.” 

* * * * 

“If we were asked, 'Which one may be called the 
ruling passion of the wild animals?’ we would 
without hesitation answer—it is fear.” 

In a chapter entitled, "The Laws of the Flocks 
and the Herds,” Mr. Hornaday says: "With their 
own eyes Americans have seen the effects of Sane- 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 71 


tuary-making upon bison, elk, mule deer, white¬ 
tailed deer, mountain sheep, mountain goat, long¬ 
horned antelope, grizzly and black bears, beavers, 
squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, sage mouse, quail, 
wild ducks and geese, swans, pelicans, brown and 
white, and literally hundreds of species of smaller 
birds of half a dozen orders.” 

Here we find animals transformed with regard 
to what Mr. Hornaday calls their ruling passion— 
fear. 

* * * * 

The late Nathaniel S. Shaler, in his book, “The 
Neighbor,” clearly sanctions the idea that natures 
of animals can be transformed. He says: “For 
our purpose, therefore, a species may be defined 
as an aggregate of kindred creatures in which the 
sympathies bind the individuals together so as to 
form a common mind, but with the sympathies 
limited to the fellows of the kind, all beyond the 
bound being disregarded, or, if regarded at all, 
considered as enemies and the subject of active 
hatred. There is an exception to this rule in the 
domesticated animals which, by a newly developed 
or converted instinct, came to look upon man as a 
master, and to depend on his presence for a kind 
of moral support.” 

A bird that in our time is transforming itself 
with regard to its consumption of food, is the her- 


72 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


ring-gull. Concerning this bird, Prof. J. Arthur 
Thompson, in his “Outline of Science,” has this to 
say: “The herring-gull is by nature a fish-eater; 
but of recent years, in some parts of Great Britain, 
it has been becoming in the summer months more 
and more of a vegetarian, scooping out the turnips, 
devouring potatoes, settling on the sheaves in the 
harvest field and gorging itself with grain.” 

The fishes yield their testimony as the possibility 
of transformation. Prof. J. Arthur Thompson 
says: “There is a well-known mudfish in Aus¬ 
tralia, Neoceratodus by name, which has turned its 
swim-bladder into a lung and comes to the surface 
to spout. It expels vitiated air with considerable 
force and takes fresh gulps. At the same time, 
like an ordinary fish, it has gills which allow the 
usual interchange of gases between the blood and 
the water.” 

The spiders furnish evidence with regard to 
the possibility of transformation. Prof. Thomp¬ 
son says of them: “Thus no one will dispute that 
spiders are thoroughly terrestrial animals breath¬ 
ing dry air, but we have the fact of the water- 
spider conquering the under-water world. * * * 
It has tackled a problem surely difficult for a ter¬ 
restrial animal, the problem of living in great part 
under the water, and it has solved it in a manner at 
once effective and beautiful.” 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 73 


The beavers of eastern Virginia twice have made 
important changes in their habits. They had been 
building dams for centuries untold, but, in order to 
escape death at the hands of hunters, they ceased 
and went to living in holes in the river bank. When 
the Civil War drew the hunters away the beavers 
resumed their former practice of building dams. 
Their first change was in leaving their old habits, 
and their second was in returning to them. 

We have seen that force, minerals, plants, in¬ 
sects and animals are transformable, and that both 
man and nature stage transformations. Man is 
the apex of creation. Has nature made him alone 
unchangeable? Out of all the things in the uni¬ 
verse, from the crawling worm to the far-flung 
nebula, must human nature alone remain un¬ 
changed, regardless of the plain need of improve¬ 
ment? 

The first man, of whom we have record, to take 
the position that human nature can be wilfully 
and completely recast, is the Grecian philosopher, 
Plato. Mr. H. G. Wells sums up Plato’s views in 
these words: “Take hold of your lives. Most of 
these things that distress you, you can do as you 
will with them.” 

Mr. Wells gives his own opinion of the matter 
thus: “It is only slowly that the world is beginning 
to realize how profoundly the tacit education of 


74 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


circumstances can be supplemented, modified, or 
corrected by positive teaching, by literature, dis¬ 
cussion and properly criticized experience.” 

Rousseau, the French philosopher, says: “The 
passage from the state of nature to the civic state 
produces a very remarkable change in man.” 

Mr. J. S. Huxley says: “Such facts, among many 
others, make us feel that we are on the verge of a 
control of living matter, which will make even our 
control of inorganic matter seem unimportant. 
And the results will not merely be capable of 
changing our environment, they will be capable of 
changing us—our constitutions, our very nature.” 

Prof. Earnest Hocking, Professor of Philosophy 
in Harvard University, in his book, “Human Na¬ 
ture and Its Remaking,” says: “Human beings, 
as we find them, are accordingly artificial prod¬ 
ucts ; and for better or for worse they must always 
be such. Nature has made us; social action and 
our own efforts must continually remake us. * * * 
As a structure, human nature is undoubtedly the 
most plastic part of the living world, the most 
adaptable, the most educable. Of all animals, it is 
man in whom heredity counts for least, and con¬ 
scious building forces for most. Consider that his 
infancy is longest, his instincts least fixed, his brain 
most unfinished at birth, his powers of habit-mak¬ 
ing and habit-changing most marked, his sus- 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 75 

ceptibility to social impressions keenest—and it 
becomes clear that in every way nature, as a pre¬ 
scriptive power, has provided in him for her own 
displacement. * * * When one reflects to what 
extent racial and national traits are manners of 
the mind, fixed by social rather than by physical 
heredity, while the bodily characters themselves 
may be due in no small measure to sexual choices 
at first experimental, then imitative, then habitual, 
one is not disposed to think lightly of the human 
capacity for self-modification.” 

Prof. J. Arthur Thompson, in his “Outline of 
Science,” says: “It is justifiable to look forward 
to great improvements in intelligence and in con¬ 
trol. The potentialities of the human brain, as it 
is, are far from being utilized to the full, and new 
departures of promises are of continual oc¬ 
currence. 

Prof. George Albert Coe, of the Union Theolog¬ 
ical Seminary, New York City, says: “The prob¬ 
lem is by no means ended when we have recognized 
the fact that the instincts are hereditary, perma¬ 
nent, and fundamental to character. We must 
bear in mind, in addition, first, that no instinct is 
strictly univocal, but that every one has indefi¬ 
nitely many possible modes of expression that vary 
through a large scale; second, that habit-forming 
is also human nature, and that it makes possible 


76 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


the fixing in human life, in an individual and 
through the generations by training, of either bet¬ 
ter or worse instinctive ways; and, third, that to 
become a self-criticising self, and to form self- 
criticising societies, are also a part of human na¬ 
ture, so that nature herself provides for taking the 
side of social aspiration as against what is un¬ 
social in our instincts. ‘As long as human nature 
remains what it is,’ therefore, we may expect in¬ 
definitely transformation of social life toward the 
highest ideals that we can conceive. * * * 

Social reconstruction is provided for in the na¬ 
ture of man. This is the reason why the likes and 
dislikes of men change so markedly between sav¬ 
agery and civilization. We simply could not enjoy 
some of the things that brought intense satisfac¬ 
tion to our early ancestors unless in some way we 
could be gradually trained backward. We are 
sunk enough, God knows, yet wants are better than 
they were. By giving attention to what we really 
want, and by training the impulses that we really 
prefer, we shall develop still other wants and the 
ways of satisfying them.” 

Benjamin Kidd says: “No part and no quality 
in the social inheritance is inborn in the individual. 
It is acquired by him from without. It is imposed 
upon him by society in every generation.” 

Prof. Patten, in his book, “The Grand Strategy 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 77 

of Evolution,” says: “This new kind of mental 
rightness and the understanding of these larger 
social purposes, so essential to intelligent action, is 
not inborn or transmitted through the usual chan¬ 
nels of germinal inheritance. It must be acquired 
by each leader and follower, either by the slow and 
costly method of trial and experiment or by per¬ 
sonal intercourse, imitation or communication.” 

The theory that profound changes may be made 
in the mentality of a people by conscious efforts is 
sustained by what has happened in the case of 
two of the most powerful nations of modern times, 
Germany and Japan. Benjamin Kidd says: “Ger¬ 
many has been the first country of the West to 
bring home to the minds of men, though unfor¬ 
tunately only in relation to the atavisms of war, the 
fact nevertheless indisputable and of the very 
highest significance to civilization, that an entire 
nation may be completely altered in character, in 
outlook, and in motive in a single generation. A 
great number of recent books deal with the subject 
from various points of view. But nearly all the 
writers agree in the absolutely fundamental and 
universal nature of the change which was accom¬ 
plished on a whole nation in a brief period. This 
vast transformation of a people was practically 
achieved in some twenty years, says a writer of 
experience. It was accomplished so thoroughly, 


78 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


says another well-informed writer, that almost 
everything previously included in the type of ‘Ger¬ 
man’ disappeared within a few decades. The al¬ 
teration which took place in the psychology of the 
German peoples, the writer describes to be a phe¬ 
nomenon so vast and so powerful that it perma¬ 
nently influenced the human mind, while it has 
been on such a scale that there is nothing to com¬ 
pare with it in history.” 

With regard to the Japanese, Kidd says: “In the 
Japanese people the West has beheld an Eastern 
nation within the space of less than two genera¬ 
tions pass through the whole interval which sepa¬ 
rates feudalism from modern conditions. In this 
space of time a change in general habits, in social 
and mental outlook, and in national consciousness, 
was accomplished as by the wand of a conjurer. 
The new social inheritance thus almost suddenly 
acquired has been so transforming in its effects, 
and has so powerfully affected the potentiality of 
Japan in the world, that in the brief period men¬ 
tioned results have been attained absolutely in the 
face of all that was previously believed to be 
possible.” 

Mr. Wells says: “With astonishing energy and 
intelligence they set themselves to bring their cul¬ 
ture and organization up to the level of the Euro¬ 
pean powers. Never in all the history of mankind 


POSSIBILITY OF TRANSFORMATION 79 


did a nation make such a stride as Japan then did. 
In 1866 she was a medieval people, a fantastic 
caricature of the extremist romantic feudalism; in 
1899 hers was a completely Westernized people, on 
a level with the most advanced European powers, 
and well in advance of Russia. She completely dis¬ 
pelled the persuasion that Asia was in some way 
hopelessly behind Europe. She made all Euro¬ 
pean progress seem sluggish and tentative by com¬ 
parison.” 

In the Anglo-Saxon race the world of today has 
its greatest cohesive force. Though separated by 
oceans, living under different forms of government, 
and having many customs very different in char¬ 
acter, a spiritual unity is maintained that is effec¬ 
tive in shaping the destiny of the human family. 
This cohesive race was at one time divisive, sepa¬ 
rative in spirit. Mr. Lloyd George is of the opinion 
that it was a species of transformation that 
caused America to cast her lot with the Allies in 
the world war. He says: “Whitfield and Wesley 
brought America into the war. The instinct which 
was a result of their preaching and teaching moved 
America to come to our aid.” 

It is thus that we see dumb-nature and the higher 
intelligence of the human race unite in sending a 
message to those groups of men that have divisive, 
contending spirits, spirits that prefer to live apart, 


80 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

spirits that do not shrink from but find an uncanny- 
joy in the crumbling of big things, spirits given to 
a peculiar sort of blindness that causes them to 
work in the direction of ruin while thinking that 
they are doing the right, to all such, to the awak¬ 
ened spirits among such, the message comes that 
transformation is possible, that divisive spirits 
may be made over into associative ones. What a 
great message of hope for groups torn with inter¬ 
necine strife! 


CHAPTER VII 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF COLLECTIVE 
EFFICIENCY 

We are now to set forth the essential elements 
that must enter into the spirits of men to cause 
them to be effective co-operators. 

1. A Capability for Self-renunciation. 

In the work of creating a co-operative nature in 
man a primary need is an antidote or dissolvent of 
individualism. Since individualism springs from 
the instinct of self-preservation, before the former 
can be eliminated the latter must be modified. This 
is by no means a slight task, in view of the people’s 
proverb, “Self-preservation is the first law of 
nature.” 

The secret of the transformation of individual¬ 
ism is the finding of a new and greater way for one 
to advance his interests. One is not to lose sight of 
his own interests, but is to become imbued with the 
thought of advancing his interests by advancing 
the interests of others—a combination of egoism 
and altruism. The rewards that come from serving 
others are far greater than those that come from 
serving oneself to the exclusion of others, or from 
serving oneself at the expense of others. To be able 
81 


82 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


to serve others there must be in the individual a 
capability for self-renunciation. 

While the instinct of self-preservation has been 
the bulwark of the individual, in the formation of 
society it must subordinate itself to the practice of 
self-renunciation. Professor Patten in his book, 
“The Grand Strategy of Evolution/' says: “Self- 
sacrifice is a higher law only in that it pertains to 
higher levels of progress; for it in turn depends on 
the utilization of the fruits of egoistic action. In 
other words, self-preservation is not the end and 
aim of creative power, but merely the necessary 
means to a larger creative result." 

Let us now observe how the capability for self- 
renunciation is intimately interwoven with the 
question of successful collective action. All groups, 
whether of men or animals, that display collective 
efficiency, have a mentality that permits leader¬ 
ship ; and one of the elements of this mentality is a 
capability for self-renunciation. In a democracy 
where leadership must be chosen at stated inter¬ 
vals those who are in a position to observe personal 
worth and who become convinced that a certain one 
is the best man for the leadership of a body, should 
actively push his claims. Since the post of leader¬ 
ship, while not sought by all, is an attraction that 
none can despise in their hearts, the advocacy of 
someone else for the leadership involves a measure 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


83 


of self-renunciation. As there can be only one 
leader, self-renunciation on the part of many is 
necessary. 

A leader ought not to be encumbered with the 
heavy task of outwitting all the strong influences 
pitted against him before the choice is made. Self- 
renunciation on the part of aspirants should lead 
them to co-operate as far as possible in making the 
chosen leader a success, so far as the interests of 
the general body are concerned. This does not, of 
course, mean that aspirants for the leadership 
must lend themselves to the furtherance of the per¬ 
sonal ambitions of the chosen leader. However, if 
the good of the group calls for a course of action 
that will result in furthering the popularity of the 
chosen leader, rivals must not hesitate on that ac¬ 
count to do that which the good of the group re¬ 
quires. 

Sometimes the efficiency of a group is promoted 
by the long tenure of an exceptionally worthy char¬ 
acter at its head. On the other hand, the welfare 
of a group sometimes calls for a change of officials. 
The retention or the abandonment of an office 
should be determined wholly with reference to the 
needs of the group. The. office holder should con¬ 
sider the question of aspiring to hold on or to let go 
from the standpoint of the needs of the group and 
not from the standpoint of his own glory simply. 


84 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

George Washington set a noble example in this 
matter. Perhaps he could have held to the Presi¬ 
dency of the United States indefinitely. Yet he 
chose to retire, feeling that that course would be 
better for the welfare of the country. 

When a man declines to allow himself to be re¬ 
tained in office for too long a period of time, he 
aids the group in several ways. First, he opens the 
way for the gratification of natural ambitions that 
arise in the bosoms of men. The fact that there is 
a chance of promotion will spur the ambitious to 
try to render as great service as possible that it 
may aid them in reaching the goal. Where there is 
to be no adequate reward for what is done, but an 
appropriation of the credit by the one already in 
the lead, the ambitious will be slow to serve. In the 
second place, the retirement of a leader after a 
reasonable period of service makes it possible for 
the group to get the benefit of new ideas, new vigor, 
and new combinations, as each new leader will 
carry with him a new set of advisers and helpers. 
In the third place, when there is voluntary retire¬ 
ment of a leader, it prevents a group from having 
to divert its energies from the tasks that should 
have first claim on its attention to the duty of dis¬ 
lodging one whom it has previously honored. This 
will of necessity inflict wounds and may beget di¬ 
vision. When a leader has to be forced into retire- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


85 


ment, things are said and done that rob him of the 
halo that should attend him in retirement and 
should cause him to become an inspiration for all 
who are to come after him. In the fourth place, 
when there is voluntary retirement after a proper 
period of service, a harmful precedent is avoided. 
On the other hand, he who succeeds the man who 
has held the post of leadership for a long time is, 
liable to feel that he owes it to his reputation to per¬ 
petuate himself in office for as long a time as pos¬ 
sible. In this way, from decade to decade, men will 
be striving for long periods in office; this results in 
the stifling of ambitions, and in failure to get the 
best results from some of the strongest minds. 

Among the workers of the bee-hive there is a full 
measure of the spirit of self-renunciation. The 
workers deny to themselves the special kind of food 
that they give to their queen. However, the queen 
has no spirit of self-renunciation. She clings tena¬ 
ciously to her throne and kills all budding queens 
that she can. When she is denied this privilege, she 
withdraws from the hive, taking a following with 
her. 

Not only does a leader need the spirit of self- 
renunciation, but all aspirants for leadership must 
renounce self-aggrandizeiuent for the common 
good. An ambitious man should consider the wel¬ 
fare of the group as outweighing any personal am- 


86 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


bition of his own. Even if a laudable ambition on 
his part goes unsatisfied, it is far better for that to 
be the case than it is to have all the interests of the 
group jeopardized by any efforts of his to satisfy 
that ambition. It is still true “that one man should 
die for the people, and that the whole nation perish 
not.” 

2. Keen Sense of Personal Responsibility for the 
General Welfare. 

The solitary bee builds a nest just large enough 
and provides just enough honey to take care of her 
own family. With the social bee it is entirely dif¬ 
ferent. She enters a hive sufficient in size to hold 
herself, all of her co-laborers, and all the offspring 
of her queen. The worker has no offspring of her 
own, but regards the offspring of the queen as 
belonging to the hive, and regards herself as per¬ 
sonally responsible for their welfare. Here are two 
distinct types of mentality that view matters in 
ways that are directly opposite. The solitary bee 
cannot be influenced to take an interest in the wel¬ 
fare of other bees. The social bee must have the 
opportunity to manifest such interest. Away from 
the hive, the solitary bee thrives and lives what she 
evidently regards as an ideal life. Separate the 
social bee from the hive and it pines away and dies. 

The human family may be divided in a general 
way into similar groups. There are groups of men 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


87 


in which the individual thinks only of himself and 
those immediately related to him. There are other 
groups in which the individual is deeply concerned 
about the problems that affect the welfare of the 
whole body, at times showing a deeper concern for 
the welfare of the group than for his own well¬ 
being. This keen feeling of personal responsibility 
for the general welfare, this civic sense, this “sense 
of the state,” as Mr. H. G. Wells calls it, is one of 
the most important qualities possessed by living 
creatures. It constitutes the very bedrock of suc¬ 
cessful collective action, whether among insects, 
animals or human beings. Without it it is impos¬ 
sible to erect a social fabric. When it leaves a 
group of men social decay is inevitable. 

Much of the difference in the degree of develop¬ 
ment of two groups can be traced to the fact that 
one group is composed of individuals that are 
deeply interested in their own affairs respectively, 
whereas the other is composed of individuals that 
think habitually in terms of the group. 

Not only is this true with regard to different 
groups, but it is also true of the same group in 
different periods. If in a given period the mem¬ 
bers of a group manifest a keen sense of personal 
responsibility for the general welfare, the progress 
and efficiency of that group will be seen to be far 
greater than in another period in which each indi- 


88 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


vidual gives exclusive attention to his own personal 
welfare, interesting himself but little in those 
things that affect the group as such. 

There are groups in which some members have 
this sense of responsibility, while others do not. 
Some groups are able to enlist but a small propor¬ 
tion of persons interested in the general welfare. 
The example of the crow is a rebuke to those 
groups that furnish such small proportions of per¬ 
sons deeply interested in the general welfare. Of 
course the crow’s knowledge as to what affects the 
general welfare of crows is limited; but when there 
is a plain menace no crow fails to respond to a call 
of duty. The crows seem to have mass meetings 
concerning matters that threaten their interests, 
and when such a meeting is called, each crow read¬ 
ily responds and is on hand to take his share of re¬ 
sponsibility in whatever course is regarded as 
necessary for the common good. He realizes that 
his destiny is involved in anything that menaces 
the crow family, and is on hand to do his part 
before the menace is a personal one. He is not 
stupidly indifferent to dangers because they are 
general in character. He has the mental telescope 
that sees his equity in a general matter. He is no 
laggard, no evader, and no deserter when it comes 
to matters that concern the general welfare. This 
lively sense of personal responsibility for the gen- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


89 


eral welfare has done much to enable crows to hold 
their own where other birds with more brilliant 
qualities along certain lines have vanished before 
the huntsman. 

The wild turkey has a keen enjoyment of group 
life, constantly seeking the association of his fel¬ 
lows. But it has not entered into his consciousness 
to do anything to protect the life of the group. 
While the crow, through his interest in the general 
welfare is largely holding his own, the wild turkey, 
though an abler bird in many respects, is fast pass¬ 
ing away. 

In an article in the American Magazine, Mr. 
Samuel A. Derieux says: “Then there is the wild 
turkey. Only in a few isolated mountain sections 
and in the great swamps of the South is he found 
any more. Yet he has some wonderful natural 
qualities to help him out. He is well camouflaged. 
His senses are the keenest. The snapping of a tiny 
twig underfoot, the least movement of hand or 
head—and he is gone. He runs swiftly and silently; 
he is a good swimmer; he can fly rapidly and for a 
considerable distance; he is an all-round athlete. 
But he is an individualist; he doesn’t know how to 
stick together, how to take advantage of the eyes - 
and ears of the combined flock.” 

Assuming no responsibility whatever for the 
general welfare, failing to think in terms of the 


90 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


group, failing to link his destiny with the destiny 
of others and to realize that his own interests are 
promoted in proportion to the extent that he pro¬ 
motes the interests of others, the turkey, in spite 
of his many good qualities, is not a good citizen. The 
individual that does not have a sense of responsi¬ 
bility for the general welfare is not a good citizen, 
and if he is so constituted mentally as to be unable 
to exercise this sense he can never be a citizen, re¬ 
gardless of all other attainments or acquisitions. 

The bees have a practice that contributes greatly 
toward fostering a general sense of personal re¬ 
sponsibility. When the honey-comb is ready to be 
carved into cells, a bee approaches and carves out a 
little. Though the cell is incomplete and her 
strength has not waned, she soon desists and makes 
way for another bee. This second bee does a cer¬ 
tain amount of work but retires with the cell still 
incomplete and her strength unimpaired. A third 
bee finishes the cell. The other cells are constructed 
by other bees, all of which content themselves with 
contributing a limited amount of service. In this 
way responsibility is quite generally distributed 
throughout the hive. 

The males in a beehive decline to accept general 
responsibility for the welfare of the hive. They 
regard themselves as mates for queens, and further 
than this they will not go. Because they accept 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


91 


only limited responsibility, they are destroyed as 
soon as it is deemed safe for the interests of the 
hive to dispense with them. The male that mates 
with the queen is immediately destroyed by the 
queen. The other males who were unsuccessful 
aspirants for the honor of being her mate are later 
taken in charge by the workers and killed. 

If a group is to have success as a group, the minds 
of its units simply must stretch beyond the tasks 
in which they are personally engaged, and must 
have regard for the success of the group as a whole. 
Absorption of the individual in his own particular 
task, however great, cannot atone for the absence 
of deep concern with regard to the welfare of the 
group as a whole. 

Here emerges one of the most dangerous points 
in the life of a group—the likelihood that the in¬ 
dividual will clear his skirts in his own mind by 
reflecting upon the manner in which he is perform¬ 
ing the tasks in his immediate charge. But how 
much good will it do a man in the bottom of a ship 
to congratulate himself upon the manner in which 
he is baling out water entering through the leak 
assigned to his care, if through the failure of 
others to take care of the leaks assigned to them, 
all on board the vessel are to be drowned? How¬ 
ever well, however brilliantly, a man may be per¬ 
forming his special task, he must have a sense of 


92 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


responsibility with reference to the general wel¬ 
fare. 

Thus when a worker appears representing a joint 
task, one whose co-operation is solicited must not 
in his own mind hide behind the fact that he is per¬ 
forming his own task well. He should weigh his 
duty in the case put before him purely on its own 
merits, without regard to anything that he is doing 
along other lines. 

There is a species of ant that has a soldier in its 
ranks. It is the special duty of this soldier to ward 
off the attacks of enemies, and ordinarily he con¬ 
fines his attention to things of that nature. But 
when the workers with whom he is proceeding as a 
military escort come upon a task too great for 
them, the soldier does not hesitate to lend his 
superior strength to the cause, even when it is 
along a line far removed from his special task. 
Each unit should maintain special interest in every 
phase of the life of the group. 

One of the most valuable traits that a group can 
possess is the spirit of the initiative, the disposition 
of members to act, to bestir themselves, to be ever 
on the alert without being told what to do. This 
spirit of initiative, so very valuable in the life of a 
group, is begotten by the keen sense of personal 
responsibility for the general welfare. 

A very marked difference was said to have ex- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


93 


isted between Japanese and Russian soldiers in the 
matter of taking the initiative during the war 
between their respective nations. For example, it 
is said that if a number of Russians were given a 
leader for a task and the leader was killed, they 
would quietly await the coming of another leader 
under whom to serve. On the other hand, if a num¬ 
ber of Japanese found themselves in a like situa¬ 
tion, instead of waiting for the coming of an 
appointed leader, someone in the group would take 
the initiative and serve as leader until a duly ap¬ 
pointed leader could arrive. The presence of the 
spirit of the initiative among the Japanese and the 
lack of it among the Russians is said to have been 
one of the chief causes of the uniform triumph of 
the Japanese over the Russians. Where there is a 
keen sense of personal responsibility for the gen¬ 
eral welfare, it breeds this spirit of the initiative. 
When there is an absence of a sense of responsi¬ 
bility, there is but little of the spirit of the initia¬ 
tive, and where there is an absence of that spirit 
there is general stagnation, and the bulk of the 
people are sunk in lethargy. The spirit of the in¬ 
itiative should be everywhere strengthened and put 
to work by the cultivation of the sense of responsi¬ 
bility for the general welfare. 

This keen sense of responsibility should extend 
to the task of having all other members of a group 


94 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


accept their full measure of general responsibility. 
When only a few out of a large number are deeply 
imbued with a sense of responsibility, they will find 
themselves overwhelmed with work and breaking 
down under the load of general welfare problems 
thrust upon them, if by themselves they attempt to 
do all that they see is needed to be done for the 
public good. For the sake of themselves and for the 
sake of society, there should be moral conscription 
for service in the general welfare. Those who have 
the good of the whole at heart should be of the type 
grimly determined to awaken a like feeling in all 
others. 

There is that in nature which tells as plainly as 
it can be told, that it is of the utmost importance 
for groups to have this sense of personal responsi¬ 
bility. She has denied the quality to all male in¬ 
sects, except in the case of four kinds of beetles, 
to all females of every species except those of 
the Hymenoptera, and to many of the females of 
even that species. Has nature made this quality so 
very rare (about as rare as she has made radium 
among the elements) that man may see its value 
and strive for its cultivation? 

3. Control of the Appetites. 

Let us enquire into the manner in which uncon¬ 
trolled appetites are a menace to collective effi¬ 
ciency. The collective arm must have resources 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


95 


upon which it can draw readily for collective pur¬ 
poses. In order that these resources may be on 
hand there must be thrift. But thrift and un¬ 
bridled appetites do not walk hand in hand— 
wherever the one abides the other is surely absent. 

One of the greatest assets of any group is the 
good health of its members. Undue indulgence of 
the appetite wrecks the body, unfits it for the 
normal duties of life, and prepares it to give way 
at a time when the group is dependent upon phys¬ 
ical stamina for salvation. If the English and the 
French had been wrecking their bodies through the 
lack of control of their appetites they would not 
have been able to carry on the trench warfare, 
which called for every available ounce of physical 
strength. 

Sometimes men of brilliant parts and with a re¬ 
markable talent for leadership so feed their ap¬ 
petites as to fall under their domination. If placed 
in the lead, the imperious rule of their passions 
may cause them to swerve from the path of duty in 
some very critical hour. On the other hand, the 
fight to keep them from the leadership will be of a 
strenuous character, greatly impairing the effi¬ 
ciency of the group. 

As the world grows wiser there is increasing re¬ 
luctance in following the leadership of a man who 
is not exercising control of the sexual appetite. 


96 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


Such a man is sure to encounter the opposition of 
those opposed to his way of living. It cannot be 
forecast how long his career is to last nor at what 
time his passions may lead him to betray some vital 
interest. Loss of mental vigor and failure in health 
are accompaniments of a lack of control of the 
sexual passions. It is to be observed that the great 
races of mankind are the monogamous races, the 
system of having one wife contributing materially 
to the regulation of the sexual appetites. 

In groups where there is a promiscuous indul¬ 
gence of the sexual appetite there are wholly need¬ 
less clashings between men who should be co-oper¬ 
ating with each other. It is often the case that 
men who are opposing each other ostensibly for 
one reason, are in reality battling because of some 
woman in the background. The antagonisms be¬ 
gotten in such clashings are deep, lasting, and far- 
reaching in their influence. 

The Irish situation has been one of the most dis¬ 
turbing features of modern life. Because of the 
presence of so many people of Irish descent in the 
United States, this country has had to be cautious 
in the matter of co-operating with England. It 
was the Irish attitude toward the League of Na¬ 
tions that had much to do with American hesitancy 
in joining it. Parnell, an Irish statesman, some 
years ago was seemingly on the road to a satisfac- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


97 


tory adjustment of matters, but his lack of control 
of his inclinations toward a married woman caused 
him to lose his hold upon the affections of a great 
many of his countrymen. With his power dimin¬ 
ished and his prestige impaired, he was unable to 
heal the Irish sore that continued to run to the 
detriment of civilization. 

In the beehive, that wonderfu 1 manifestation of 
collective efficiency, the sexual urge has been en¬ 
tirely eliminated from the life of the rank and file, 
the workers. Reproduction is left entirely to the 
queens, and the males that co-operate with them in 
that duty are entirely exempt from the labors of 
the hive. When feeding the young the bees are 
careful to render all of them, save the queen and 
prospective queens, indifferent to sexual matters. 
When it becomes certain that the chosen queen is to 
become a mother, she is allowed to go from cell to 
cell and sting to death the prospective queens that 
have been nurtured with a capability for reproduc¬ 
tion. 

And after the queen begins to lay eggs, all the 
males are put to death. In this way the bees limit 
their interest in sexual matters simply to the matter 
of reproduction, of continuing the species. All 
groups of men can well afford to learn a lesson 
from the efficient bees and should beware of the 
damage that can be done by the master passion. 


98 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


Woe unto that group that is lacking in control 
of the appetites—that is drifting wherever they 
lead! 

4. Honesty that Begets Fidelity to Trust and 
Justifies a Policy of Faith in Man. 

Unless the muscles of a living organism yield 
themselves to the control of a central will, that 
body will not be able to move as a whole. Likewise, 
there must be a concentration of power in a group 
before there can be successful group action. Just 
as the muscles must yield to the control of the cen¬ 
tral will that there may be a movement of the body, 
an individual must yield to a central influence to 
secure collective efficiency. In order that there 
may be this ready yielding to the necessary central 
influence there must be faith—faith in the wisdom 
and the integrity of the central influence. Men will 
not knowingly and voluntarily entrust their des¬ 
tinies to the care of either fools or knaves. Thus 
the faith that man has in man is the very cement 
that binds human society together. This fact calls 
for that measure of fidelity to trusts that will breed 
faith in the hearts of men. For without such faith 
there can be no such thing as collective efficiency. 

Those who have trusts committed to their care 
owe it to their patriotism to be true to those trusts. 
Men will be slow to confer great power when there 
is great danger that it will be betrayed. Dying 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


99 


upon a battlefield is not the only form of patriot¬ 
ism. It is a patriotic duty for those who have been 
trusted to be exceedingly careful in the execution 
of the trust, and to be honest. The brand of hon¬ 
esty required is that which can withstand a tempta¬ 
tion of any strength. 

What the heart is to the body, sending the blood 
into all its veins, making possible all of its activi¬ 
ties, faith, trust, is to a life of co-operation. When 
the heart ceases to beat, all movements of the body 
stop and death steps in. Likewise, when trust 
ceases among men, co-operation is no longer pos¬ 
sible. But trust cannot exist in the human heart 
merely because someone demands that it exist. 
Trust plants its feet firmly only upon possibilities 
that have been forecast by previous happenings. 

5. Reliability. 

The value of what a man does in connection with 
the activities of a group is not wholly dependent 
upon the nature of what is done, but it must depend 
also upon what some one else does. Water is com¬ 
posed of two parts of hydrogen and one part of 
oxygen, and it is utterly useless for the two parts 
of hydrogen to offer themselves to create water, 
unless the needed amount of oxygen appears on the 
scene. Thus in society many efforts will go for 
naught unless they are supplemented by other 
efforts. 


loo GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


A question that must enter men’s minds is as to 
whether if they do certain things, the other neces¬ 
sary things will follow. Unless there is a reason¬ 
able measure of assurance that their deeds will be 
supplemented with other necessary deeds, men will 
be indisposed to act. Dependableness is a great 
breeder of action. Men act readily when they hold 
the belief that their actions are to be met with the 
proper actions on the part of others. 

Men should not enter great collective enterprises 
with elements of doubt in their minds. The way to 
prevent this is to be constantly reliable in even 
the smallest things. Groups composed of those 
who are uniformly reliable have no trouble in se- 
suring successful collective action. Unreliability, 
which creates uncertainty with regard to what is 
to follow the first effort, leads inevitably to social 
paralysis, or the facing of joint tasks with the full 
power to meet them, but with nothing being done to 
meet them. 

6. Spirit of Reconciliation. 

The circumstances that confront men in a group 
are bound to differ. These different circumstances 
will operate to produce different convictions. Men 
who are equally able and equally honest will some¬ 
times arrive at different conclusions. Misunder¬ 
standings are likely to arise. Ruptures in social 
fabrics are sure to come. It is therefore essential 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 101 

that every social group should be equipped with the 
spirit of reconciliation. Men must know how to 
forgive and forget. Men must have the desire to 
put an end to quarrels as quickly as possible. 
Estrangements should be kept up not one moment 
longer than may be necessary to cure the ills that 
begot them. The spirit of reconciliation should lead 
men to heal every breach as soon as that which 
caused the breach is out of the way. 

There came a time in the life of the Jews when 
certain leaders regarded it as essential to enter 
into contention with other leaders. A rupture took 
place and they were divided into two rival king¬ 
doms. They did not heal the breach. The rupture 
was allowed to continue. There was not the spirit 
of reconciliation. Therefore, when troubles came 
upon them thus separated into two independent 
groups, they were unable to stand the shock. 

The United States of America had a most serious 
rupture. Four years of bloody strife overtook the 
nation, but when the war was over and the cause 
that led to the estrangement had been removed, 
the spirit of reconciliation asserted itself and the 
nation moved on unitedly to face its destiny. The 
late Dr. Lyman Abbott says: “We did not restore 
the Union when Lee surrendered at Appomattox 
Courthouse—we only got a chance to restore the 
Union. If, after that surrender, South Carolina 


102 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


and Georgia and Alabama and Mississippi had still 
held their old grudge against the North, if no free 
schools had been built up, if no commerce had 
pressed in, if no manufacturing had followed, if 
there had been no rebanding together, man with 
man, if we had followed the Civil War with execu¬ 
tions and kept the bad blood in our veins, we should 
have had a dissevered nation, altho one flag had 
floated over us.” 

Going farther back, there was a rupture between 
the American colonies and the government of Eng¬ 
land. A war raged for eight years, but as the 
decades passed, the spirit of reconciliation asserted 
itself, and as a consequence today the English 
speaking people of the world, separated as to form 
of government and by wide seas, are one in heart 
and one in destiny. 

7. Suppression of the Spirit of Revenge. 

In order to be able to promote the spirit of recon¬ 
ciliation, it is necessary to suppress the spirit of 
revenge. This passion is an unholy one and should 
not be harbored. There will be needless wran- 
glings, base plotting of a harmful nature, where 
the spirit of revenge is tolerated. Where the spirit 
of revenge is nurtured, there will be rejoicing over 
mishaps when there should be sorrow, opposition 
where there should be hearty co-operation. No 
individual who harbors or encourages that spirit 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


103 


can be relied upon as a safe member of society. It 
is impossible to build up collective efficiency out of 
material charged with the spirit of revenge. 

Carthage and Hannibal would seem to furnish 
mankind with all the argument needed against the 
passion for revenge. When Hannibal was eleven 
years old his father had him to vow undying hos¬ 
tility to Rome, and the whole of his life thereafter 
was devoted to the fulfillment of that vow. The 
following brief passage by Mr. Wells in his “Out¬ 
line of History” tells of the final fate of Carthage, 
in whose behalf Hannibal took the oath of revenge: 

“There followed the most obstinate and dreadful 
of sieges. Scipio built a mole across the harbor and 
cut off all supplies by land or sea. The Cartha¬ 
ginians suffered horribly from famine; but they 
held out until the town was stormed. The street 
fighting lasted for six days, and when at last the 
citadel capitulated there were fifty thousand Car¬ 
thaginians left alive out of an estimated population 
of half a million. These survivors went into sla¬ 
very; the whole city was burnt, the ruins were 
plowed to express final destruction, and a curse 
was invoked with great solemnities upon anyone 
who might attempt to rebuild it.” 

And these words by Mr. Wells tell of Hannibal’s 
end: 

“In the same year died Hannibal. He poisoned 


104 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


himself in despair. The steadfast fear of the 
Roman Senate had hunted him from court to court. 
In spite of the indignant protests of Scipio, Rome 
in the peace negotiations had demanded his sur¬ 
render from Carthage, and she continued to make 
this demand of every power that sheltered him. 
When peace was made with Antiochus III, this was 
one of the conditions. He was run to earth at last 
in Bithynia; the king of Bithynia detained him in 
order to send him to Rome, but he had long carried 
the poison he needed in a ring, and by this he died.” 

8. Love of One’s Neighbor. 

A clear title to all that is in the universe would be 
of little value to a man occupying it by himself. 
The happiness of every individual is therefore 
bound up in the fact of the presence in the world of 
his fellow beings. Since one’s fellows count for so 
much in every one’s life, every one should love his 
fellow-man. Collective efficiency only arrives in 
groups where this debt of love of one’s neighbor is 
recognized and met. For there are many duties 
necessary for the common good for which there are 
no rewards whatever, that are only performed 
where there is love for one’s neighbor. 

Where there is only self-love, no true co-operator 
can be developed. Self-love is the very essence of 
individualism. He who does not love his fellow- 
men will find himself unable to pursue a course 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


105 


necessary for the common good whenever his own 
personal interests appear to lie in a contrary direc¬ 
tion. 

Not only is one’s happiness dependent upon his 
fellow-man, but the extent of his usefulness is lim¬ 
ited by the degree of development of his fellow- 
man. The eminent French writer, Jules Payot, 
says: “The expansion of my personality and the 
proportionate value of my co-operation in the com¬ 
mon task, depend for a large part on the richness, 
intellectual and moral, of other men. My highest 
individual power coincides with the greatest de¬ 
gree of outside support and justice.” Hence, the 
necessity of love for one’s fellow-man. 

A member of a group in which the love of one’s 
neighbor is a vital force feels that this sentiment is 
a great protection, and this thought warms his 
heart into a fervor of patriotism. It is hard to 
secure patriotic service from the members of a 
group in which love of one’s neighbor is absent, 
and without patriotic service you cannot have a 
high degree of collective efficiency. 

9. Maintenance of Family Life. 

A progressive society’s chief reliance for passing 
the gains from one generation to another is the 
family, made up of the husband, the wife and the 
child. The husband is needed to give proper leisure 
to the mother that she may have full opportunity to 


106 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

write the best upon the heart of her child. His 
strength is also needed to carry the children 
through the period in which a show of force may 
be necessary to insure proper discipline. Back of 
all efforts, then, to build for collective efficiency, 
there should be the family life, the one man and the 
one woman linked together in the home, each de¬ 
serving the trust of the other, the two of them, in 
love, in patience, in all earnestness, transmitting to 
the spirit of the youth the social inheritance, the 
things of the heart, and the mind, and the spirit 
that make for social stability and progress. 

Since the family is such a necessity, the young 
should be reared in a way to promote the family 
life of the group. Young women should deport 
themselves in such a way as to cause the young men 
to feel that the chances for securing pure and faith¬ 
ful wives are good. Young men ought to so live as 
to cause parents to feel safe in turning daughters 
over to their care. The relationship between the 
sexes should be regarded as something sacred, as 
from this relationship flows the stream of racial 
life. Degrade the relationship between the sexes 
and you degrade the life of a race. 

10. Ready Tendency to Second. 

All human beings have it in their power to co¬ 
operate with their fellows, but the mental consti¬ 
tution of some is such that they are better and more 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


107 


thorough co-operators than are others. Some co¬ 
operate in response to appeals, while others seem 
to co-operate instinctively. Perhaps we can under¬ 
stand the co-operating mentality better by noting 
certain things in the insect world. As a rule no 
male insect is able to share in the labors of another 
insect for the purpose of helping that insect. 
Whenever a male is seen working at a task along 
with others, it is for the purpose of benefiting him¬ 
self individually and immediately, and with no 
thought of giving aid to another. 

This is true even of the Hymenopteras, the one 
family of insects that has solved the problem of 
co-operation. In that family co-operation is con¬ 
fined to the females. A male never helps its mate 
nor its mother. In only one family of insects do we 
find an exception to this rule. There are four 
species of male beetles in which the males enter into 
the labors of their mates when they are preparing 
food for their prospective offspring. In all other 
cases, in every family of insects, the males look on, 
wholly unmoved by what the females do. The 
mother or the mate may labor ever so long or hard, 
even to the point of exhaustion, but the male sits 
idly by, unmoved to the slightest extent. Com¬ 
menting concerning this failure, Fabre says: “Well, 
this enormous labor, which is one of building and 
provisioning combined, this toil in which the in- 


108 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


sect’s whole life is spent, is done by the mother 
alone. It wears her out; it utterly exhausts her. 
The father, drunk with sunlight, stands idle at the 
edge of the workyard, watching his plucky help¬ 
mate at her job. Why does he not lend the mother 
a helping hand ? It is now or never. Why does he 
not follow the example of the Swallow couple, both 
of whom bring their bit of straw, their blob of 
mortar to the building, and their .Midge to the 
young ones? He does nothing of the kind. Pos¬ 
sibly he puts forward his comparative weakness as 
an excuse. It is a poor argument; for to cut a disk 
out of a leaf, to scrape some cotton from a downy 
plant, to collect a little bit of cement in muddy 
places would not overtax his strength. He could 
very easily help, at any rate, as a laborer; he is 
quite fit to gather materials for the mother, with 
her greater intelligence, to fit in place. The real 
reason of his inactivity is sheer incapability. 

“It is strange that the most gifted of the indus¬ 
trial insects should know nothing of a father’s 
duties. One would expect the highest talents to be 
developed in him by the needs of the young; but he 
remains as dull-witted as a Butterfly, whose family 
is reared at so small a cost. We are baffled at every 
turn by the question: Why is a particular instinct 
given to one insect and denied to another?” 

The bee Halictus has a destiny altogether differ- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


109 


ent from that of the Apis, and the difference arises 
out of the difference in the psychology of the male 
and the females. The Halictus lays her male eggs 
first and they hatch first. These male offspring 
never render her any aid in caring for the family. 
By the time the females put forth their wings and 
are prepared in body and in spirit to help the 
mother, she passes away. Thus the Halictus has 
never developed a high order of co-operation. 

The very opposite is true of the Apis, whose sys¬ 
tem of co-operation, as already shown, is one of the 
outstanding marvels of the universe. She lays her 
female eggs first and lives to have their co-opera¬ 
tion. The non-co-operating males come last and 
at a time when the mother has the aid of her 
daughters in caring for the interests of the family. 
The social organization that has been evolved by 
the bees, because they got hold of that in their men¬ 
tality which enabled the one to associate itself with 
the labors of the other, has laws that are enforced, 
well defined political arrangements and the classi¬ 
fication of inmates of the hive as workers, males 
(or drones), larvae, nymphs, princesses, nurses, 
ladies of honor, architects, masons, wax workers, 
sculptors, chemists, sweepers, capsule makers, un¬ 
dertakers, guards and the reigning queen. Behold 
what wonderful things have their origin in so sim¬ 
ple a thing as being able to project oneself into the 


110 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

situation of another to the point of assuming a 
share of his burdens! 

Just as in the ranks of the insects there are some 
that have the instinct of entering into the labors 
of others, while some do not, so it seems to be with 
the races of mankind. In some races the minds of 
individuals for the most part seem to stand apart. 
Some human minds, splendid in many other re¬ 
spects, seem to be fatally deficient in the capability 
for gripping in any deep way the labors of others. 
There seems to be a slowness, an inability to adopt 
a task as a joint task. All human beings are capa¬ 
ble of a measure of co-operation, but our reference 
here is to the readiness of the tendency, to co¬ 
operation as an instinct. Prof. G. A. Coe defines 
an instinct as “any readiness to act in a specific way 
in a particular sort of situation without having 
learned to do so, or (as it is often put) the first 
time that a situation of the sort is presented.” With 
this definition of instinct in mind let us study the 
importance of having the instinct of seconding. 

* * * 

Compare two groups, in one of which the 
units have this readiness of spirit and in the other 
they have it not, and you will find an immense dif¬ 
ference in their degrees of progress and efficiency 
even when other things seem to be equal. Give to 
two bodies equal physical strength, equal powers 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


111 


of endurance, equal mental ability, but a marked 
difference in the degrees of readiness of spirit to 
fall in behind and push where another pulls, and 
you will have two groups widely separated in point 
of achievements. 

Dr. William Patten, Professor of Biology in 
Dartmouth College, in his book, “The Grand 
Strategy of Evolution, 1 ” says: “This spontaneous 
spirit of mutual service, always manifest in some 
measure when men are rightly brought together, is 
the chief attribute of man. It is the creating and 
saving factor of human society and of all man’s 
social institutions.” 

* * * 

No one man will originate all the things needed 
by a group. He will not originate a majority of 
the things necessary, it matters not how versatile 
and energetic he may be. By far, then, the greater 
needs of any group are going to lie beyond the 
range of things inaugurated by any one individual. 
If, therefore, a person confines his attention to the 
things he originates, he will fail to take an interest 
in the larger and more important needs of the 
group. 

Regardless of what one may be doing in his own 
chosen line, he should have the feeling that he owes 
a debt of some sort to every worthy activity of his 
group; and though leading in a single sphere only. 


112 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


he should be a ready seconder in all other spheres. 
Observation will demonstrate that the life of any 
group is decidedly unhealthy, regardless of the 
ability and the success of individuals, if these indi¬ 
viduals are devoid of the seconding tendency and 
keep their eyes fastened only on their respective 
tasks. 

* * * 

One man performs and another records, and thus 
we get history, which serves to bind the past, the 
present, and the future together, and makes pos¬ 
sible the existence of a racial policy, a cementing 
social force. But in groups where the units are 
characterized by the individualistic outlook on life, 
each fellow is so intent upon what he himself is 
doing that he has not the heart of a historian. In¬ 
dividualism, then, is the deadly foe of history and 
causes the absence of this great cementing force. 
In groups where the units are characterized by in¬ 
dividualism, the literary tendency will be in the 
direction of autobiographies. If a general record 
is made, it will be by someone who conceives him¬ 
self as playing a central part in the things written 
about. Such biographies as appear will, in the 
main, be produced by some member of the family of 
the man thus honored. History, therefore, is only 
possible where the units have the associative spirit. 

There are those who devote their time to inven- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 113 

tion, discovery and research. What they ac¬ 
complish may be of invaluable service to the com¬ 
munity, but they may not be in a position to fur¬ 
nish the funds to put their ideas into execution. 
Perhaps the very fact that they have labored faith¬ 
fully along their chosen lines has prevented the 
accumulation of the necessary funds to put their 
ideas over. 

Mr. H. G. Wells says: “There is a necessary un- 
worldiness about a sincere scientific man; he is too 
preoccupied with his research to plan and scheme 
how to make money out of it.” It is then very ap¬ 
parent that men of this type will fare very badly in 
groups void of the seconding habit. 

The world owes its knowledge of Socrates to the 
fact that his lot was cast among spirits that had the 
tendency to enter into the tasks of others. He left 
no written account of his teachings, but we have 
the benefit of the workings of his great mind be¬ 
cause Plato and Xenophon were able to enter into 
his task. They wrote and have left behind pictures 
of Socrates that cause us to feel that we know him 
well. Jesus left no written word behind, but he 
labored among spirits able to enter into his tasks. 

* * * 

In groups where there is the tendency to second, 
those who have been inclined to practice thrift 
stand ready to join in the efforts of the man who 


114 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

could not give his time to the accumulation of a 
fortune and at the same time work out the ideas 
needful for the advancement of mankind. Where 
men with great ideas are associated with groups 
in which the tendency to second is missing or feebly 
developed, their ideas are likely to fall short of 
their possibilities. The poet, the historian, the nov¬ 
elist, the scientist, the explorer, the inventor, the 
philosopher—all are dependent in very large meas¬ 
ure upon the spirit and habit of seconding, and one 
may expect to find a dearth of characters of this 
type in groups not characterized by this spirit. 

* * * . 

There are things needed to promote the general 
welfare for which there is not, and at times cannot 
be, an adequate reward. Often those that need 
service do not understand their need and have 
neither the power nor the spirit to pay in any man¬ 
ner those that serve them. Innumerable are the 
tasks of society that call for unselfish service. At 
times the extreme price must be paid by those that 
serve, and there is, of course, nothing that can be 
given in return for the surrender of life itself. The 
general practice on the part of a people of showing 
that they hold public service in grateful remem¬ 
brance has the tendency to encourage such service. 
It is the habit of seconding that is chiefly responsi¬ 
ble for the manifestation of grateful remembrance. 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


115 


The true seconding spirit leads one to show ap¬ 
preciation of another, even after service has been 
rendered and there is no longer need of the servant. 
The seconding spirit will insist on finding a way 
to convey in some form tokens of remembrance. 
And, even when death has intervened, it is the sec¬ 
onding spirit that causes some man or woman to 
hold before the world the record of the deeds of a 
departed hero. The mere knowledge that one is 
working in the midst of seconding spirits breeds 
the patriotism needed for the manifestation of 
collective efficiency. 

* * * 

It was the national spirit of seconding that 
caused the people of England, and later the people 
of America, to do honor to the unknown soldier of 
their respective countries that died in the world 
war. How was honor to come to this soldier in the 
absence of the seconding spirit? His voice was 
stilled forever. The mark upon his uniform was 
gone. His relatives were unknown. The only way 
for him to receive honor was to belong to a group 
that had the spirit to go forth voluntarily to recog¬ 
nize and honor that which is worthy. 

While, in a group having the seconding spirit, we 
find that spirit going forth to honor the unknown 
dead, we find the very opposite condition in groups 
whose members are not so characterized. In 


116 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

groups of the latter type, men whose praises were 
widely sung in life, after death lie in unmarked 
graves. Such mention as is made of them is in the 
hope of winning applause for the speaker or credit 
for the living, and with no thought of giving due 
honor to the dead. The ancients who builded monu¬ 
ments to themselves before death did well to do so, 
for the honor was not to come in any other way in 
groups devoid of the seconding spirit. 

It is quite easy to see that a group possessing a 
strong seconding spirit will develop a patriotism 
that contributes toward collective efficiency in a 
more marked degree than that developed in a 
group where the seconding spirit is feeble. 

* * * 

Where there is the true seconding spirit, the man 
who is serving in times, unable fully to appreciate 
the character of his services, becomes reconciled to 
the necessity of relying upon the verdict of history 
for understanding and vindication. He can rest 
assured that, if time proves the wisdom of his 
course, the seconding spirit of someone will come 
upon the scene to call to the attention of his fellows 
the true character and value of the service ren¬ 
dered. It is thus also that we stimulate the pa¬ 
triotism needed to insure collective efficiency. 

* * * 

In a group that is void of the seconding disposi- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS ll 7 

tion, matters operate in the very opposite direc¬ 
tion from that of developing collective efficiency. 
To woo men to the performance of joint tasks is 
one of the most essential things in a group, but 
the logical outcome of things in groups where 
men do not second is toward driving out of men’s 
minds all desire for working upon joint tasks. 
When men do not have the seconding spirit, they 
do not realize when others fail because there is 
an absence of the spirit of seconding. Instead of 
laying the blame where it belongs—on the lack 
of a seconding spirit in the group, blame is placed 
upon the shoulders of those who really did their 
duty and more than their duty in their efforts to 
promote the common cause and to stir up the 
proper interest. Leaders who promote enterprises 
and institutions that appeal to the selfish interest 
of people, noting their own successes, are some¬ 
times disposed to join in the unjust chiding of 
the workers who work in the fields that have 
no attraction in the way of personal rewards 
to individuals, and where reliance must be solely 
upon the spirit of seconding. When men in a 
group realize that they are not going to be properly 
seconded, that too large a proportion of a common 
task is going to be thrown upon them, and that they 
are to be blamed for failures that are failures be¬ 
cause of what others would not do, there is a hesi- 


118 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

tancy about accepting joint tasks and a tendency to 
enter lines that serve selfish ends. The general 
tendency, then, of a non-seconding group is to pro¬ 
mote selfishness and to destroy patriotic feeling. 
Therefore, there must be a lack of efficiency in 
groups that are not characterized by the seconding 
spirit. 

* * * 

When a group is destitute of, or woefully defi¬ 
cient in that distinctive trait that causes one to go 
voluntarily to the aid of another, this condition 
prevents the coming to that group of the full bene¬ 
fit of some of the greatest agencies produced by 
mankind. The invention of the alphabet, the dis¬ 
covery of the art of manufacturing paper, the 
invention of the printing press, the founding of 
newspapers, and the establishment of the postal 
service are among the most farreaching of human 
achievements, but they count for but little in the 
life of a group that lacks the seconding spirit. For 
where this trait is absent or very weak, a human 
voice and direct personal attention must do the 
work that the written or printed word should do. 
When there is present in the nature of an indi¬ 
vidual an instinctive tendency to second, a written 
or printed word can call it into action; but when a 
person is void of such, the much more expensive 
and cumbersome method of employing a human 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


119 


agent is necessary. Those who are troubled be¬ 
cause of the lack of responsiveness on the part of 
members of a group to the written or printed word 
have a far more serious problem than that of 
merely increasing the amount of urging. The 
remedy lies rather in strengthening the instinct of 
seconding. 

It is no contradiction of what is here said to point 
out that the printed page succeeds in producing 
sales in groups that are otherwise unresponsive to 
the written or printed word. The responses in such 
cases are begotten by the instinct of self-interest 
and not by the instinct of co-operation. Side by 
side with the success of the printed word in effect¬ 
ing sales or accomplishing results when the per¬ 
sons addressed think they will be directly bene¬ 
fited in some way, there will be found failure where 
the appeal is simply to the spirit of co-operation. 

* * * 

Booker T. Washington was one of the most 
famous men of his times in spite of his many handi¬ 
caps. He was not a member of the dominant race 
of his country. He was born a slave and had to 
struggle for an education. He encountered much 
opposition in his own group, partly from being mis¬ 
understood by some, and partly because he did not 
lay emphasis upon some things that were upper¬ 
most in the minds of some others. Washington’s 


120 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 

rise to a commanding position in the eyes of the 
civilized world against great odds was due in large 
part to the fact that he found in Mr. Emmett J. 
Scott a good seconder. He never failed to give Mr. 
Scott credit for a great deal of the success that 
came to him. 

Washington refered to Mr. Scott thus: 

“Without his constant and painstaking care it 
would be impossible for me to perform even a very 
small part of the labor I now do. Mr. Scott under¬ 
stands so thoroughly my motives, plans and ambi¬ 
tions that he puts himself into my own position as 
nearly as it is possible for one individual to put 
himself into the place of another, and in this way 
makes himself invaluable not only to me personally 
but to the institution. Such a man as Mr. Scott I 
have found exceedingly rare; only once or twice in 
a lifetime are such people discovered.” 

In the campaign which led to his nomination as a 
candidate for the presidency, the Hon. Warren G. 
Harding was by no means the leading figure. Sev¬ 
eral other candidates appeared to attract far more 
attention than he and secured the election of many 
more pledged delegates than he did. His nomina¬ 
tion in these circumstances came as a great sur¬ 
prise to many people, and various explanations 
have been offered to account for it. A factor that 
cannot be left out of consideration is the fact that 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


121 


m ^ny years prior to that event his character had 
made a profound impression upon Mr. Daugherty, 
who became Attorney General in his cabinet. Hav¬ 
ing a nature that made it possible for him volun¬ 
tarily to support the worthy efforts of others, Mr. 
Daugherty decided to do all in his power to cause 
Mr. Harding to be elected to the presidency. 
Quietly, but unceasingly, step by step, and through 
the years, he planned and toiled with that one end 
in view. If Mr. Harding had been a member of a 
group in which minds were so shaped that one man 
could not become absorbed in the success of 
another, and each had to give first attention to him¬ 
self all the time, he might never have been lifted 
above the many thousands of other good, able and 
really brilliant men of the nation. 

* * * 

It is the presence of the spirit of seconding in the 
natures of the members of a group that causes it to 
plan for the unborn. The members of such a group 
are not content to do well themselves, but their 
spirits reach out to include all future generations 
in their planning. This is one of the greatest fac¬ 
tors in begetting inequalities between groups. In a 
group where the spirit of seconding is missing 
there will be but little thought of the unborn. Who¬ 
ever proposes matters in their interest in such a 
group will find the reception of such ideas either 


122 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


lukewarm or hostile. This difference in the natures 
of members of different groups causes the children 
of some groups to find upon coming into the world 
things that were prepared for them by successive 
generations of ancestors, whereas the children of 
other groups find that nobody at any time seems to 
have thought of them beforehand. There is no 
light of experience in the form of recorded history 
to guide their feet and but little of accumulated 
resources. As each generation of seconding groups 
adds something for the unborn, the gap between 
the seconding and non-seconding groups contin¬ 
ually widens as the ages roll by. 

* * * 

Some great man in a group utters a great truth 
or sets a splendid example along some line. In a 
group in which the members have the seconding 
spirit, when he has passed away, there will be those 
who will seize upon what he has said or done and so 
magnify it as to mould it into a helpful tradition. 
As tradition is a more powerful governing force 
than even laws or officers of the law, the seconding 
spirit thus creates a stabilizing force. In a group of 
individualists, with each one’s thoughts centered 
upon himself, they will be so busy dreaming of their 
own glory that they will have but little spirit to be 
making a hero of someone else. Where units are 
unselfish enough to take the course that begets 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


123 


helpful traditions they are able to have stable poli¬ 
cies upon which they can build. Those in the lead 
in groups that do not have the seconding spirit lack 
the aid of sanely developed traditions and there¬ 
fore have the harder time in formulating what will 
amount to a policy for a group. 

There is a vast difference between mere promi¬ 
nence and leadership. A man may acquire 
prominence very largely by his own efforts, or in¬ 
dividualists can bestow upon him a position that 
involves prominence. But no man is a leader unless 
he is able to influence other men to join forces with 
him in the execution of matters pertaining to the 
general welfare—that is, unless he can secure 
actual followers. When he has a large measure of 
prominence in a group of individualists the wonder 
will be as to why he has not attained great results. 
The fault will be in the nature of his support. No 
amount of prominence that comes to an individual 
can take the place of the co-operation which one 
must have if he is to secure large results. Wherever 
there is little co-operation, look for meager results, 
regardless of the prominence of individuals. 

* * * 

There is a mock seconding spirit even as there 
is a mock bee, which has the garb of the real bee. 
The mock seconding spirit is a temporary en¬ 
thusiasm aroused in non-seconding units. Under 


124 guide to racial greatness 


the heat of this enthusiasm they develop the feeling 
that they are seconders, but the enthusiasm soon 
dies down. During the time when it looked as 
though there was to be seconding, steps were taken 
that later caused embarrassment to the party that 
was to have been seconded. Thus mock seconders 
not only do not really second, but in the end injure 
those that they were supposed to have seconded. 

* * * 

Individualists deal with men of prominence as 
the tick does with the cow. The tick does nothing 
for the field in which the cow is to browse, does 
nothing to produce the blood of the cow, but no 
sooner does the cow enter the field than the tick 
proceeds to attach itself to her to suck her blood. 
Individualists do nothing voluntarily to aid men to 
secure prominence, but when prominence has come 
to men in their midst in spite of their own failure to 
assist adequately, they proceed to hold them re¬ 
sponsible for all social ills. Why don’t they do this ? 
Why don’t they do that? Why don’t they do the 
other? Such are the questions bandied about 
among individualists. As a matter of fact the 
things desired of the men of prominence in their 
midst can only be done by associative action, a 
thing that is most difficult to secure in groups in 
which the individualistic bent of mind is predomi¬ 
nant. One of the outstanding features of life 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


125 


among men with the individualistic turn of mind is 
constant murmuring against leaders, a constant 
cry on the part of the tick that the cow will not 
come into the pasture to furnish blood. The cure of 
the tendency to murmur against the man of promi¬ 
nence is the habit of rendering proper assistance. 
* * * 

Those most in need of the strength of the group 
are often the least prepared to issue the call for 
help. Their circumstances constitute the call, but 
it is unheeded except among those that have the in¬ 
stinct of going to the aid of others. In the class 
needing assistance, but unable to issue the call, are 
orphans and persons mentally, morally or phy¬ 
sically defective. The mere plight of such charac¬ 
ters is a compelling influence in the bosoms of those 
equipped by nature to make a ready response to 
those needing co-operation. 

Groups thus constituted sometimes bring up 
orphans that are not only free from anti-social 
traits, but contribute greatly to the public wel¬ 
fare. There was a certain boy who at the age of 
ten years was a homeless waif. His condition ap¬ 
pealed to a family possessing the ready tendency 
to second. He was adopted by this family, was 
educated, twice became the governor of the state 
in which he was reared, and served the entire na- 


126 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


tion in a very signal manner in the time of a great 
industrial crisis. 

* * * 

The groups that are composed of members that 
are slow to get behind others and push them for¬ 
ward often lose the benefit of the services of mod¬ 
est individuals who, nevertheless, are capable of 
great achievements. Individualists, void of the 
faculty of multiplying the usefulness of others, 
jostle modest, retiring persons aside. These come 
into their own only in groups charged with the 
spirit of co-operation. Here we have in large 
measure the cause for the selfish nature of the 
leadership of groups with but little of the second¬ 
ing quality. 

* * # 

A government conducted among people who 
have but little of the spirit of collaboration cannot 
be greatly successful, as the units in such groups 
do not give the attention, the counsel and the per¬ 
sonal help, which all governments must have to 
be able to meet properly the needs of the people. 
The changes in governments sought by violent 
revolutions would often be found unnecessary if 
the people involved only had the tendency to keep 
in helpful touch with the governing power. It is 
a significant fact that a capability for government 
has appeared nowhere in the insect world except 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


127 


in company with the mentality that causes one 
individual to step spontaneously to the aid of an¬ 
other. 

* * ❖ 

But there are dangers that must be guarded 
against in connection with this matter of second¬ 
ing. It is possible for one to be so full of this 
spirit that he will neglect his own vital interests. 
One can serve his fellows only in proportion as he 
keeps himself in a position to serve. Everyone’s 
first duty is to his own vital interests. But the 
power which he develops and conserves should be 
held in readiness for the good of others. 

* ❖ * 

A foe to seconding is the individualist, who, after 
being helped, forgets the helper. It sometimes 
happens that an individualist leads a collective en¬ 
terprise, but when he is thus in the lead, his chief 
interest is not so much in the success of the group 
as in his own personal success. Not seeking the 
good of others to any marked degree, it matters 
but little to him that he throws a damper upon the 
practice of seconding, by his cold and faithless at¬ 
titude toward his seconder. It is a social virtue 
of the very highest order for one to have the habit 
of giving proper attention to his helper. 

* * # 

Belief in the doctrine of seconding may lead one 


128 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


to seek a seconder for his labors, but he must keep 
in mind the fact that some men by nature are not 
good seconders. If individualism has remained in 
the spirit, it will lead the man who should be a 
seconder to become an obstructor in the hope of 
reaping some benefit from the misfortunes of the 
person he was chosen to help. 

❖ * * 

Members of all groups should study their racial 
psychology for the purpose of discovering whether 
they have a full measure of that instinct that 
enables one person to find delight in linking up with 
the labors of another, a quality upon which so very, 
very much is seen to depend. 

Every member of a group should build up in him¬ 
self the seconding spirit. He should be always on 
the alert for his duty with regard to everyone’s 
labors or conditions. No one should be regarded 
as too humble and none too exalted to be given the 
attention deserved. Societies have been wrecked 
because of a failure to pay attention to the condi¬ 
tion of the humble, and societies have also been 
wrecked because there was failure to give adequate 
support to those in authority. Who around you or 
known to you in any part of the country or the 
world is performing a general task, or is so situ¬ 
ated that his life touches the interests of men in 
general? Let each member of a group ask him- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


129 


self that question and proceed to find ways of co¬ 
operating with every one that commends himself 
to his judgment, whether he be high or low, very 
nearby or very far away. This should be done 
without outside pressure. Perhaps the person, 
the success of whose labors depends upon what 
you and others in your situation may do, does not 
know where you are or hasn’t the means for reach¬ 
ing you. Be like the ant, which though uncalled, 
always goes to the help of a fellow ant. Cast away 
the disposition of the fly for which no other fly has 
any sort of appeal except where personal interest 
is involved. 

No one is a good citizen, no one is fit for life in 
a democracy, whose mind is so constituted that it 
does not lend itself readily and without solicitation 
to every worthy cause which is being worthily con¬ 
ducted in the interest of the common welfare. 
Whatever other virtues an individual may possess, 
they in no way compensate for the lack of this 
cardinal virtue, needed by every member of human 
society. 

11. The Capability for Re-adaptations. 

We live in a universe of change. In nature, com¬ 
binations are being broken up constantly and new 
combinations formed which bring about new con¬ 
ditions. Plants and animals that have not re¬ 
adapted themselves as conditions have changed, 


130 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


have perished from the earth; and their fossils, 
sheltered in the earth’s bosom for ages, arise to 
tell the story of their failure. Just as a capability 
for readaptation has been necessary for the sur¬ 
vival of animals, so also is it necessary for a group 
that would live up to its highest possibilities. 

This means that a group must not be too con¬ 
servative. While it must cling tenaciously enough 
to the past to hold the good acquired, and must not 
rush forward in a way and at a rate to jeopardize 
the valuable achievements of the past, yet it must 
go forward. The efficiency of a group depends in 
large measure upon its capability of maintaining 
a proper balance between conservatism and pro¬ 
gressiveness. 

It is here that the affections must be watched. 
It matters not what amount of good an institution 
has done in the past, if it cannot serve the needs 
of the present it should be discarded. The burial 
need not be a harsh and rough affair; but if the day 
of usefulness has gone, the burial had better take 
place. 

On the other hand, care must be exercised in the 
matter of accepting new ideas. There are things 
that succeed for a while and then fail utterly. 
There are successes that are real successes along 
certain lines, but they entail greater losses along 
certain other lines. It is the efficient group that 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 131 

can carefully and yet with proper speed pick its 
way along the road of life. 

12. Possession of a Self-Curative Capability. 

Biologists tell us that plants are only half awake 
because of their poor equipment for getting rid of 
the waste matter that they develop. Animals have 
more life than plants because among other things, 
they have a greater capability for getting rid of 
waste matter. Only half-awake are the groups 
that have poor facilities for taking care of the 
wastes that develop in their lives. 

It is not to be expected, in view of the known 
frailties of man, that all will always go well with 
a society. Errors and wrongs may be expected 
to show up in all groups. Sometimes these evil 
conditions will arise through a lack of knowledge 
or through the operation of selfish forces, but the 
evils that show up in society must not be allowed 
to remain there. There should be in every society 
the spirit of reformation. There must be no fatal¬ 
istic disposition to accept as permanent the evils 
that appear in society. Evils can be corrected and 
every member of society ought to cherish the de¬ 
sire to have social groups purged of whatever 
wrong appears therein. There should be no quiet 
folding of the arms, no acquiescence in things, 
merely because they were done by the people of 
the past. 


132 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


It is not enough to inquire, with reference to a 
group, as to the intellectual strength or upright¬ 
ness of character of its members. The inquiry 
must go further. What is the tendency of the ad¬ 
vanced element? Is it toward aloofness or in the 
direction of bringing other elements up to its level? 
However brilliant the members of a group may be, 
however much in their individual lives they may 
meet the highest demands of society, there is a 
fatal lack unless there is that tendency to catch 
hold of and reform all unworthy elements. As to 
themselves personally, they may be highly es¬ 
teemed as individuals, but they are lacking in 
citizenship if they are deficient in that feeling that 
leads men to work needful changes in the lives of 
their neighbors. 

There is an element in a community, let us say, 
that dresses neatly, lives orderly, and has regard 
for the appearance of things. Can this element 
beget in others an ambition to do likewise? Has it 
the tendency and the resourcefulness to handle 
such a problem? Or, will the element that is cor¬ 
rect suffer the element that is not correct to drift 
on in its improper ways? Collective efficiency de¬ 
mands both a corrective tendency and a self-cura¬ 
tive force. 

13. Possession of the Ideal of Unity. 

In the little animal called the Amoeba, found in 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


133 


the mud at the bottom of ponds and streams, and 
in the shallow pools of the seashore, there is an 
inveterate tendency to divide. When it gets to 
be about 1-100 inch in diameter it acts as though 
it regards itself as having gone far enough in that 
direction, and forces within itself proceed to di¬ 
vide it into two parts. Each of these parts follows 
the same course as its ancestor. This process goes 
on indefinitely. Having this divisive tendency, it 
is not strange that the Amoeba has remained at 
the very bottom of the scale of existence while 
other forms of life have gone on, ascending higher 
and higher and getting larger and larger. 

The law of progress points in the very opposite 
direction from that traveled by the Amoeba. The 
late Prof. Henry Drummond says: 

“To create units in indefinite quantities and scat¬ 
ter them over the world is not even to take one 
single step in progress. Before any higher evolu¬ 
tion can take place these units must by some means 
be brought into relation so as not only to act to¬ 
gether, but also to react upon each other. Accord¬ 
ing to well known biological laws, it is only in 
combinations, whether of atoms, cells, animals, or 
human beings that individual units can make any 
progress, and to create such combinations is in 
every case the first condition of development. 
Hence the first commandment of Evolution every- 


134 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


where is, ‘Thou shalt mass, segregate, combine, 
grow large.’ ” 

Whenever men are divided into small groups 
there are honors to pass around to greater num¬ 
bers. If a thousand men are connected with one 
body, there will be but one president. If, on the 
other hand, these thousand men are divided into a 
hundred separate bodies, there will be a hundred 
presidents. There may be some who like an ar¬ 
rangement of this kind, but the ideal of unity is 
more conducive to racial greatness. In Africa 
they have hundreds of languages. The African 
mind that can contemplate such a condition of af¬ 
fairs with complacency and can feel that this is 
a splendid state of things, has not the sort of an 
ideal that can aid in the development of a strong 
social fabric in that country. “Behold how good 
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell to¬ 
gether in unity,” is the ideal upon which powerful 
social fabrics are built! 

Where groups do not possess this ideal of unity 
they forfeit their chance to take part in the great 
tasks of the world in a way to challenge the high¬ 
est form of respect. What is needed in a group is 
the type of mind that abhors needless divisions and 
sees no beauty in a multitude of disjointed frag¬ 
ments. 

Those who have minds that are weak in the ele- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


135 


ments that tend toward unity and harmony of 
action do not operate large groups. They have no 
marked tendency in the direction of amalgamating 
kindred groups, and if brought together in large 
groups will not long remain thus. Upon provoca¬ 
tion that will seem to others to be slight, disin¬ 
tegration will set in. Against all urgings they 
will divide and subdivide. This is due to the fact 
that minds in which the sense of unity is slight 
can operate small bodies better than large ones, 
since the strain on the larger bodies is relatively 
greater than on smaller ones. Statesmen who seek 
to bring about great federations must not leave out 
of calculation the degree of the sense of unity to 
be found in the minds of the persons to be fed¬ 
erated. Minds without the sense of unity as a con¬ 
spicuous ingredient can no more cling together 
than bricks will stick together without mortar. 
Herbert Spencer, in his “Principles of Sociology,” 
makes the following statement, which throws light 
on this subject: 

“It is a principle in physics that, since the force 
with which a body resists strains increases as the 
squares of its dimensions, while the strains which 
its own weight subject it to increase as the cubes 
of its dimensions, its power of maintaining its in¬ 
tegrity becomes relatively less as its mass becomes 
greater. Something analogous may be said of soci- 


136 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


eties. Small aggregates only can hold together 
while cohesion is feeble; and succesively larger ag¬ 
gregates become possible only as the greater 
strains implied are met by that greater cohesion 
which results from an adapted human nature and 
a resulting development of social organization.” 

No race has as yet surpassed the Anglo-Saxon 
race in political efficiency, a fact which owes much 
to the degree of tolerance that has been attained 
in its mentality. In matters of state, religious 
beliefs are ignored. In the United States it is 
the custom for the successful candidate for the 
presidency to offer a cabinet position to his near¬ 
est rival in his own political party for the presi¬ 
dential nomination. In congress it is the custom 
to have the different political faiths represented 
on committees. Contrast this course with the 
spirit of intolerance of the ancient Greeks who 
sought unity of action by sending to exile its strong 
characters who had ideas different from those 
chosen to serve. That habit of mind seems to have 
come down to the present day. Aristides, the just, 
was sent into exile, although his return and in¬ 
dispensable aid to his rival in a crisis serve to show 
how much better it would have been to have ab¬ 
sorbed rather than to have exiled his power. 

The evolution of character in the ancient Greeks 
halted this side of the development in them of the 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


137 


sense of unity. They were characterized by a na¬ 
ture that had been left fundamentally separative. 
Though they wrought marvelously along many 
lines they never changed their natures from the 
separative to the associative class. Unified by 
the fear of the Persians, they were able to 
forget their differences among themselves long 
enough to work in unison to repel them; but no 
sooner had the Persian menace disappeared than 
their innate tendency to separate reasserted itself 
with all of its old time force. 

Later on the fear of Phillip, king of Macedon, 
brought about a measure of unity among the Greek 
states. Eventually they came under the jurisdic¬ 
tion of Alexander the Great, who sought to make 
them an important part of a great central force 
dominating the world. But, because Greek na¬ 
ture was still afflicted with what has been 
called “intense separatism,” the great empire 
which he founded very soon passed away after 
his death. 

In our day, Mr. Venizelos, the famous Greek 
statesman, has had a somewhat similar experience. 
The Greeks desired to return to power King Con¬ 
stantine who had been deposed because of his atti¬ 
tude in the World War. When he was restored to 
power Mr. Venizelos went into exile at a time when 
he was the greatest single asset of the Greek na- 


138 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


tion, having added vast regions to its domain by 
his astute statesmanship. 

The Greek mind should have been such as to hold 
Mr. Venizelos in Greece in honor, even with Con¬ 
stantine restored to power. Constantine with his 
magnetism and Venizelos, with his sanity and his 
great influence with the leading nations of the 
world, would have proved a combination able to 
render notable service to Greece at the turning 
point of her career in modern times. But the sep¬ 
aratism of the Greek spirit did not suffer this to be 
so, and in the absence of the restraining influence 
of Mr. Venizelos the Greeks embarked upon enter¬ 
prises that resulted disastrously and swept away 
many of the gains that he had made for his 
country. 

When the armies sent forth by King Constantine 
were overwhelmingly defeated, the Allies at once 
laid aside their dislike of the ruler and determined 
to go to the aid of the Greeks in spite of his con¬ 
tinued leadership. But not so with Mr. Venizelos. 
The strain of the separative spirit running through 
his mentality caused him to say in the hour of the 
deepest distress of his country that he would not 
return if he had to work with King Constantine. 

Not only did Greece lose much of what she had 
gained by the World War, but the situation cre¬ 
ated by her undertakings, which should have been 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


139 


thwarted at home and by internal forces, almost 
caused a break between the allies and the re-open¬ 
ing of war in that part of the world. The divisive 
habit of the Greek mind thus affected the peace 
of the world. 

Contrast this separative trait in the Greek spirit 
with the Anglo-Saxon spirit of unity which caused 
Mr. Henry Cabot Lodge and Mr. Oscar Under¬ 
wood, the leaders in the United Senate of opposing 
political parties, to work together to bring about 
naval disarmament among the great powers of the 
world. 

The Arabs contributed greatly to the develop¬ 
ment of mathematics; invented zero and the deci¬ 
mal; created algebra; invented the sine, tangent, 
and cotangent in spherical trigonometry; invented 
the pendulum; made great progress in the science 
of astronomy, calculating the angle of the ecliptic 
and the procession of the equinoxes; in chemistry 
discovered such substances as alcohol, potash, ni¬ 
trate of silver, corrosive sublimate, and nitric and 
sulphuric acid; and gave to Europe a knowledge 
of the manufacture of paper, one of the most im¬ 
portant events in human history. 

Despite their greatness, of which the foregoing 
is but a hint, the Arabian spirit was of a divisive 
character. Mr. H. G. Wells says of the Arabians: 
“The world of Islam was rent in twain by the 


140 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


spites, greeds, and partisan silliness of a handful 
of men and women in Medina. That quarrel still 
lives.—To watch this schism creeping across the 
brave beginning of Islam is like watching a case 
of softening of the brain.” 

One of the traits that will be found in every 
group that displays collective efficiency is the dis¬ 
position to be a good loser. This trait may well be 
ascribed to a love of unity. This disposition to 
take defeat good naturedly has a tendency to keep 
down unnecessary divisions, and prevents constant 
revolutions such as characterize some countries. 
This truly beautiful trait is one of the greatest 
heritages of the English-speaking nations. 

In England there is often a sharp division of 
opinion and men contend with great vigor for the 
triumph of their respective opinions; but when 
the contest is over, generally the loser takes defeat 
gracefully, and when this is not done the force of 
public opinion is brought to play upon him. A 
newspaper article referring to this English trait 
says: 

“It is customary for the candidates to be present 
at the central polling places in their boroughs or 
counties so that they can appear before the popu¬ 
lace and make speeches as soon as the will of the 
electorate is known. The spirit in which the un¬ 
successful accept defeat is always keenly awaited 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 141 

by the assembled voters. It is one of the unfailing 
tests of popularity. Defeated candidates who 
show irritation are always hooted.” 

The mere fact that two men, and the wives of the 
two men, respectively, engaged in an ordinary con¬ 
versation and spent a day together pleasantly was 
deemed worthy of being telegraphed all over the 
United States for publication in the daily papers. 
This was done because the people of the United 
States also have a deep appreciation of the ability 
to be a good loser. The following is the news story 
sent abroad: 

“One week ago Governor Nathan L. Miller, of 
New York, and Governor-elect A1 Smith, were at 
the climax of a bitter election campaign, in which 
each told the public what a terrible menace the 
other would be in the Governor’s chair at Albany. 

“But Miller and Smith put in a chatty Sunday 
together at the Seaview Golf Club, near here. Af¬ 
ter a luncheon party, the Governor and his vic¬ 
torious rival swung off together for a hike through 
the woods while their wives sat on the porch of 
the club house and chatted about how much t costs 
to dress the children these days.” 

The heroes of this incident in the minds of the 
people were not the victorious Mr. Smith and his 
wife, but the defeated Mr. Miller and his compan¬ 
ion, who here appear in the role of good losers. 


142 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


A method of promoting unity is the giving to all 
members of a group a common body of ideals and 
principles, and a common cause for which to strive. 
Before men can long act in unison they must in 
large measure think in unison. The people of Eng¬ 
lish descent are scattered among the continents, 
live under different forms of government, have 
keen commercial rivalries and have customs and 
practices that vary greatly, yet there is a spiritual 
unity among them as they face the world, and this 
unity is possible because of the ideals that are com¬ 
mon among them. Four great loves are said to 
form the spiritual cord binding them together— 
love of country, love of liberty, love of home, and 
love of woman. 

Psychologists tell us that the love of unity is one 
of the primary instincts of man. It shows itself 
in the crying of the child over the breaking of a 
toy. There is much encouragement for the human 
family in this thought. If it is true that a desire 
for unity is an instinct found in the human family, 
this would signify that the spirit of division is a 
reversion to type, a going back to the early traits 
of living creatures. 

14. Spirit of Tolerance. 

There is beyond question a tendency in nature 
to render things homogenous. A population of a 
country drifts toward a common type and develops 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


143 


some sentiments that are common to all. But na¬ 
ture also strives for diversity even in unity. There 
is a general likeness in human voices, yet each voice 
has its own peculiarities. All normal men have 
thumbs, yet no two thumb prints are alike. 

While nature must have unity in her social fab¬ 
rics of the highest order, she also insists on di¬ 
versity. The bees display a wonderful capacity for 
unity of action yet they have diversity on an ex¬ 
tensive scale. In the hive (as noted on a preceding 
page) they have workers, males (that do no work), 
nymphs, princesses, nurses, ladies of honor, archi¬ 
tects, masons, wax workers, sculptors, chemists, 
sweepers, capsule makers, undertakers and guards. 
This diversity which contributes to the efficiency 
of the hive could not exist but for the spirit of 
tolerance. 

Human society stands in great need of this spirit. 
Often nature accomplishes her ends by having 
things that are in opposition to each other. The 
electric spark is born of a negative and a positive 
pole, and is not produced by two negative or two 
positive poles. Great principles of government 
have been the more fully unfolded because men 
have been thrown into opposition to each other. 

It is sometimes the case that one truth is needed 
to complete another although at times the two 
things may seem to be antagonistic to each other. 


144 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


It is now seen that the excellence of the United 
States is due in large measure to the fact that it has 
a strong central government and at the same time 
states that are sovereign within themselves as re¬ 
gards many matters. State sovereignty promotes 
a general sense of responsibility while a strong na¬ 
tional government makes possible national effi¬ 
ciency. These two great principles were espoused 
respectively by different champions who looked 
upon them as antagonistic, whereas they were but 
complementary. 

This spirit of putting the ban on things merely 
because they are different has greatly retarded the 
progress of the world. Men have fought men as 
enemies, when the men being fought were in real¬ 
ity a vital need. The spirit of intolerance for long 
kept women in the back ground. Their achieve¬ 
ments since receiving broader recognition give evi¬ 
dence of the great loss sustained by the world by 
its previous policy of narrowness. 

Members of a group should realize that two men 
equally honest, equal in ability and with the same 
facts before them sometimes come to opposite con¬ 
clusions. Since there can be honest differences of 
opinion when men are equal in ability, it is quite 
apparent that there will be honest differences of 
opinion when men are unequal in ability. The 
chances for honest differences of opinion are fur- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 145 

ther increased when men live under different con¬ 
ditions. 

The efficiency of a group is greatly impaired 
when these facts are not borne in mind. In a group 
of intolerant people, those who have looked more 
deeply into matters than others will sometimes find 
themselves despised by those who have not kept up 
with them in their thinking. Needless clashings 
between the informed and the uninformed will en¬ 
sue and the contests will be bitter in an atmos¬ 
phere of intolerance. Men should be very slow 
to condemn other men for their views, and 
should give them credit for honesty of purpose 
unless confronted with clear evidence that sinister 
motives are at work. 

There will be times when, after the most thor¬ 
ough discussion, men will remain on opposite sides 
of some questions. Where there is a spirit of in¬ 
tolerance, this difference will spread to other 
things far removed from the zone of controversy, 
whereas a spirit of tolerance enables men to main¬ 
tain pleasant and profitable relations on all other 
matters even when there are serious differences of 
opinion on some. 

Professor Patten, of the department of biology 
in Dartmouth College, says: “Thus in all stages of 
life, freedom and bondage, variation and stability, 
the radical and the conservative work together 


146 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


for progress. Discipline and restraint conserve 
the old ways; freedom finds the new.” 

15. Patience. 

We have seen that transformation is a method 
of nature, that she often produces out of a thing 
something that is radically different from it. This 
fact constitutes the loudest sort of call for pa¬ 
tience. Out of the most unpromising material na¬ 
ture sometimes brings things most wonderful. 
But if men are to lose patience because of miser¬ 
able imperfections this wonderful transformation 
will not take place. 

This call to patience is especially applicable to 
the minds of unusual strength that nature locates 
here and there in groups to aid in tremendous for¬ 
ward movements. The strong should “bear the 
infirmities of the weak.” The masses stand in need 
of the leadership of the strong, but where the 
strong is lacking in patience he is liable to with¬ 
draw at the time he is most urgently needed, or his 
manifest impatience with the foibles of men may 
render his leadership ineffective. Moses was often 
sorely vexed with the Hebrews. It was his opinion 
that God was so disgusted with them that He de¬ 
sired to blot them out. But Moses was patient'with 
his people. That is, patience finally triumphed in 
his soul in spite of acts calculated to disgust him. 

Bearing in mind what Moses thought of the 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


147 


weakness of his people, now consider a tribute paid 
to them by the late Prof. Shailer: “They are clearly 
the ablest folk the world has ever known. The 
Athenians for four centuries surpassed them, but 
no other stock has ever for one thousand years 
maintained anything like the mental estate which 
the Hebrews have held for several times as long 
throughout the direst afflictions. They are of abid¬ 
ing moral quality in the larger sense of the term, 
for to them the ruling peoples of the world largely 
owe their guidance in conduct, and to their own 
canons they have held more firmly than any other 
race has ever held to a faith. They are very hu¬ 
mane, as is proved by the help they give each other, 
the good help that has enabled them to live through 
the ages of torment they have endured. That this 
motive is not limited to their own race is proved 
beyond peradventure by their wide-ranging char¬ 
ity to those from whom they have received nothing 
but evil. It is, indeed, evident that when we meet 
our neighbor in a Jew the chance is that he is an 
able, trustworthy man. 

* * * 

“He laid the moral foundations of our civiliza¬ 
tions by work done from one to two hundred gen¬ 
erations ago. In his race is the stuff that made 
Christ and all the men we know as the prophets, 
and he has for millenniums withstood the tortures 


148 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


of hell to keep his noble faith as his fathers held it. 
. . . There is in him and his kind the most solid 
substance of a man that the world has ever known. 
He has worn out the dynasties and empires of his 
persecutors, and stands ready with the spirit of 
youth to face whatever the world sends. . . . 
You find the faithful, kindly man, the trustworthy 
citizen, the good father, the far-seeing inquirer, 
the soul which is the quickest to harmonies.” 

16. Promptness. 

There is not a very high degree of efficiency 
found in groups whose members show little, regard 
for punctuality. Find a group where the members 
totally disregard their appointed hours of meet¬ 
ing and drift in at any time in desultory fashion, 
and there you will always find inefficiency. 
Promptness is the handmaid of efficiency. 

Promptness stimulates the morale of the mem¬ 
bers of a group. When a forward movement is 
being planned the prompt gathering of those who 
are expected to act together causes a favorable re¬ 
action on each mind, makes each one feel that the 
others mean what they say. But, when a few 
gather on time and have to wait for the coming of 
the others, straggling in one by one, the spirits 
of those who came early are dampened, and yet 
they, perhaps, are the very ones who would have 
served well as leaders. Thus the lack of prompt- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


149 


ness is a frost to leadership at the very outstart: 
a chilling influence at all times. 

Moreover, the success of great undertakings not 
only depends upon various contributing elements, 
but often depends upon the doing of several things 
simultaneously. Sometimes the sacrifices of one 
group are an entire waste unless they are accom¬ 
panied by corresponding sacrifices of other groups 
at the same time. Promptness is a social virtue 
that should be cultivated by all means. 

17. The Tendency to Plan for the Future. 

The fate of a society at a given time often de¬ 
pends more upon what it did at some previous 
time than upon what it does when the crisis is upon 
it. When the great World War broke out, and the 
French were summoned to struggle for their ex¬ 
istence, their fate hung not only upon the skill and 
courage of the soldiers upon the battle fields but 
also upon what had been done in the years that 
went before. A group that lacks the mental grasp 
to reach out into the future and to bring it into 
the activities of today will not be able to maintain 
its standing in the midst of stunning emergencies 
and changing conditions. 

Wise planning for the future calls for the steady 
accumulation of resources. This can only be done 
where there is the habit of industry. Therefore, a 
tendency to plan for the future must carry along 


150 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


with it tke mind to work. It is to be noted among 
the insects that the manifestation of collective effi¬ 
ciency, which is always accompanied by a tendency 
to plan for the future, is also always accompanied 
by the habit of industry. 

18. Curiosity that Leads to the Habit of Inquiry. 

A difference in the measure of the instinct of 
curiosity possessed by different races or groups of 
men will about mark the difference between their 
significant achievements. The instinct of curiosity 
is important, first of all, because nature abounds 
in illusions that are not dispelled except by close 
investigation, and holds secrets which she only 
reveals to the very diligent searchers. Nature pre¬ 
sents the earth to the eye of man as something 
flat, whereas it is round. She causes the sky to 
seem to bend down to the earth at the horizon, 
whereas it never bends. She seems to present us 
with a sun revolving around the earth, whereas the 
earth revolves around the sun, and the sun never 
makes the journey that it seems to make each day. 
In view of nature’s general practice of doing the 
very opposite of what she seems to do, that race or 
group that accepts her just as she seems to pre¬ 
sent herself is doomed to lag far behind the inquir¬ 
ing races. 

Explorers report that the element of curiosity 
seems to be lacking in the backward groups 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


151 


of men, whereas she is the staff of the forward 
groups. Curiosity is the mother of the sciences, 
and the mother of all learning and research. Re¬ 
ligion is her offspring. In all human progress you 
can note how curiosity led the way. Curiosity led 
Columbus, the Italian, to discover America; Mar¬ 
coni, the Italian, to invent wireless telegraphy; 
Newton, the Englishman, to unfold the law of 
gravitation; Harvey, the Englishman, to discover 
the circulation of the blood; Madam Curie, the 
Polish woman, to discover radium; Franklin, the 
American, to find out that lightning and elec¬ 
tricity are the same; Edison, the American, to in¬ 
vent the phonograph; the Wright brothers, Ameri¬ 
cans, to invent the flying machine; Holland, the 
American, to invent the submarine. 

One of the most amazing achievements of the 
instinct of curiosity was the discovery of the dif¬ 
ferences between the stomachs of two certain mos¬ 
quitoes, and the discovery of the different mark¬ 
ings on them, thus enabling men to battle intelli¬ 
gently with one of the greatest enemies of health, 
the mosquito Anopheles. The Culex sucks blood 
from a man suffering with the fever and then bites 
another with no harmful results. The stomach of 
the Culex grinds to pieces protozoans sucked from 
the first man bitten. The stomach of the Ano¬ 
pheles does not destroy but aids the protozoans, 


152 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


and they are ready to work injury to the next man 
bitten by the Anopheles. The Culex flies in the day 
and the Anopheles at night. The Culex stands 
with her head level with her body, while the 
Anopheles stands with her head down. The 
Anopheles has wings of a smoky brown hue, and 
there are some pronounced differences between the 
heads of the two kinds of mosquitoes. The dis¬ 
covery of these facts has greatly aided in the battle 
of mankind against diseases, and the achievement 
can be traced to the habit of inquiry. 

One of the most valuable assets of a group is the 
shaping class, the experts who in their several lines 
have gone as far toward the bottom of things as 
possible. Men of this type furnish their groups 
with the results of their investigations, and the 
fact that a group is thus guided adds greatly to its 
efficiency. But this class, if developed, will be with¬ 
out proper appreciation in groups lacking in the 
habit of inquiry. In such groups, pioneers who go 
forth and catch fresh visions of great truths, find 
themselves surrounded by those who do not have 
the curiosity to draw near enough to examine with 
care what the pioneers have to offer. If people of 
this type finally get the truth, it comes accidentally 
rather than through searching. 

Groups lacking the habit of inquiry get their 
lessons out of the bitter school of experience after 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


153 


many beatings have been administered, and after 
they have been forced by sheer exhaustion to listen 
to the investigator, who has stood by in possession 
of all the essential facts, but has been unable to 
excite enough curiosity in the people to study what 
he had to offer. 

Where the habit of inquiry is strong, where there 
is diligent search for hidden powers and new 
thoughts, much will be discovered from time to 
time that will add to the efficiency of groups. 
Groups of men in which we find the element of 
curiosity sufficiently developed not only develop 
new and useful things among themselves, but also 
keep representatives in the midst of other groups 
to discover what new things have been developed 
elsewhere. 

When the minds of men are equipped with the 
habit of inquiry of the proper sort, they are lifted 
above mere gossip about things that are petty 
or vicious. Just as some animals, when short of 
food turn on one another, people who do not in¬ 
quire into the unknown things of the universe turn 
their attention upon one another. In groups where 
the mind lacks the habit of inquiry, silly rumors 
have a splendid chance to stick. When it is known 
that a group is prone to accept things without in¬ 
vestigation, there grows up an indifference toward 
rumors. In this way, worthy persons are unduly 


154 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


hampered by false rumors, and unworthy persons 
are protected by the indifference to rumors that 
grows out of the careless habit of accepting prac¬ 
tically anything that is said. By thus restraining 
persons that should be free from rumors, and 
exempting persons that should be restrained, the 
efficiency of groups is impaired. 

There are in the world selfish, designing and un¬ 
scrupulous persons who do not hesitate to propose 
things that are highly injurious. There are others 
who, because of lack of information or because of 
insufficient thought, propose courses of action that 
are not wise. On the other hand there are persons 
that are sincere, thoughtful and wise. One of the 
most important duties facing a group is that of 
distinguishing between the sincere and the insin¬ 
cere, and between the policies that are wise and 
those that are unwise. A mind that is prone to 
accept just what is put before it is unsafe. This type 
of mind often mistakes chaff for wheat and is unre¬ 
liable, siding with that which is last presented. 
Whenever there is a proper amount of curiosity in 
the mind, it will beget a habit of analysis. Decisions 
made by groups whose members have enough of 
the element of curiosity to lead to the habit of anal¬ 
ysis are likely to be characterized by wisdom, 
whereas those made by groups whose members do 
not readily analyze things are likely to be multi¬ 
plied folly. 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


155 


The mistakes that men make as a general rule 
arise from the fact that they do not study matters 
as deeply as they should. Foolish action ordinarily 
is action taken before the mind has surveyed and 
properly weighed all factors in a case. The habit 
of inquiry begets the habit of giving due considera¬ 
tion to all factors—in fact is the parent of com¬ 
mon sense, a quality most essential for collective 
efficiency. For if men do not show common sense 
in their leading, if they lead their followers into 
hopeless situations, a timidity and a fear will arise 
which will utterly paralyze collective action. 

19. Recognition of the Enlarged Responsibility 
of Leadership. 

Outstanding characters in groups, those who are 
classed as leaders, are not always in a position to 
say and do the things freely permitted to the rank 
and file. A child in one government may express 
intense dislike of the people of another government 
without grave results, but chief executives dare 
not speak as glibly as children, since the question 
of peace or war depends on the character of their 
words. Where this fact is not understood by 
groups, those whose lack of prominence makes it 
possible for them to speak freely without ill re¬ 
sults, blame others of greater prominence for not 
doing what they do. 

As wonderful as are the bees, they show lack of 


156 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


understanding of the fact that their queen may be 
hampered as they are not. This has been demon¬ 
strated by the following experiment: A net with 
holes large enough to allow the ordinary members 
of a beehive to pass through, but not large enough 
for the queen to do so, has been placed in a hive. 
When the bees have reached a decision to leave, 
those planning to leave have started on their jour¬ 
ney, only to find that their leader, the queen, has 
not kept up with them. They return and all start 
again. The queen tries to follow, but is prevented 
by being unable to get through the holes in the net. 
The other bees finally kill her for not going with 
them, not realizing that the very size of their 
leader prevented her from doing as they did. 

Contrast this senseless course on the part of the 
bees with the following comment from Mr. A. 
Maurice Low, in the Review of Reviews: “Diplo¬ 
mats cannot always say what they think and 
know, frankness is not always wise, and evasion 
is sometimes justified. We of the press have 
the advantage that we can speak frankly. This 
is not only our privilege but on occasions it is our 
duty.” 

But regardless of the clamor of those who may 
not fully understand, the true co-operator will 
not be led into saying unwise things. The indi¬ 
vidualist, however, for the sake of temporary 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


157 


applause will say things that he knows will not 
result in good, but will do harm eventually. 

Since there are leaders who are thus weak, it 
contributes to collective efficiency for the people 
as a whole to be careful as to their demands, per¬ 
mitting sincere men to choose their own time and 
to adopt their own methods of saying needful 
things, remembering that tact is by no means an¬ 
other name for cowardice. 

20. Self-control. 

In groups where the individuals practice self- 
control, those whose duty it is to administer the 
general affairs will find their tasks far more easy 
than in groups where there is lack of self-control. 
In point of efficiency the groups made up of units 
that practice self-control must necessarily be far in 
advance of those groups in which the individuals 
do not practice it. 

Each individual who conducts himself in har¬ 
mony with the higher aspirations of his group is a 
contributor to the cause of collective efficiency. 
Where energy has to be spared to stimulate, and 
keep the individual within proper bounds, just that 
much energy is diverted from the administration 
of other affairs of the group. 

Mr. Robert C. Winthrop says: 

“I could not omit to urge every man to remember 
that self-government politically can only be sue- 


158 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


cessful if it be accompanied by self-government 
personally; that there must be government some¬ 
where and that if the people are indeed to be sov¬ 
ereigns they must exercise their sovereignty over 
themselves individually as well as over themselves 
in the aggregate—regulating their own lives, re¬ 
sisting their own temptations, subduing their own 
passions, and voluntarily imposing upon them¬ 
selves some measure of that restraint and disci¬ 
pline, which, under other systems, is supplied from 
the armories or arbitrary power—the discipline 
of virtue in place of the discipline of slavery.” 

21. Self-respect. 

The degree of one's success in the world is de¬ 
pendent in a large measure upon the amount of 
the spirit of co-operation he is able to inspire in 
others. Men do not have the time nor the oppor¬ 
tunity to look through most of the things that come 
under their observation. They adopt the views of 
others to a very great extent. Thus men are prone 
to accept as a basis for further consideration one's 
view of himself. Where one does not respect him¬ 
self, it is difficult for him to inspire respect in 
others. Therefore, he who lacks self-respect 
misses co-operation that would enable him to count 
for more in the life of the group with which he is 
identified. 

Cleanliness and neatness of attire create a pre- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


159 


sumption that the person thus appearing respects 
himself. This opens the way for further con¬ 
sideration. On the other hand the first impulse is 
to draw away from the unclean and untidy in¬ 
dividual. 

It is true that persons do serve those who are un¬ 
tidy and unclean, but it is because a sense of duty 
has been developed in them. But so many do not 
have this sense of duty developed. Thus while the 
clean and the neat get practically universal co¬ 
operation, the others get that smaller group, pulled 
to them by a sense of duty. Cleanliness and tidi¬ 
ness, giving evidence of self-respect, are great aids 
toward promoting collective efficiency, quickening 
the spirit of co-operation upon which it is based. 

Goethe says that three things rule the world: 
Love, wisdom and appearance. 

22. Practice of Relying upon the Force of Pub¬ 
lic Opinion. 

When it becomes necessary to make changes, 
what is the normal trend of the mind of those seek¬ 
ing to make the changes? Is the first thought that 
of resorting to physical force? Such an order of 
mind does not contribute to the development of col¬ 
lective efficiency. Physical force always leaves 
rancors behind and should always be the last re¬ 
sort. The chief instrument for bringing about 
needed changes is the force of public opinion. 


160 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


When any change in matters is deemed necessary 
there should be a campaign of education. Those 
who fail to fall in line should be reached by neces¬ 
sary arguments and by the focusing of public opin¬ 
ion upon their attitude. This is the greatest of all 
methods of progress. But this process should be 
applied in a spirit of forbearance and open- 
mindedness, since men thought to have been wrong 
have often been found to have been in the right. 

23. Possession of a Sense of Proportion. 

The progress of a group is affected in large meas¬ 
ure by the degree of the sense of proportion pos¬ 
sessed by its members. Not all things presented are 
of equal importance, and where there is a due sense 
of proportion, the more important men and the 
more important measures will receive the attention 
to which they are entitled. Nature at intervals sup¬ 
plies groups with persons devoted to the deeper 
things of life. When such persons can get the 
proper co-operation, they often bring about re¬ 
sults of an epoch-making character. But unless a 
group is characterized by a due sense of propor¬ 
tion, the vital matters presented by those of the 
deeper thought will go unheeded, while things of 
far less importance will receive attention. 

The lack of appreciation of the relative impor¬ 
tance of things is a factor that has operated to pre¬ 
vent the higher development of monkeys. An ob- 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


161 


server of the life of monkeys in Africa says that 
there appear among the monkeys some that are 
above the average in intelligence. He states that 
he has often seen a leader among them seek to en¬ 
list the co-operation of the other monkeys. The 
leader gathers a group, puts himself at the head 
and proceeds with them toward the task he has in 
mind. The monkeys, while following their leader, 
catch sight of objects by the wayside that interest 
them. They turn aside to give attention to the 
things thus attracting them. The leader, finding 
that he is not being followed, returns to the group 
and reawakens interest in his project, only to find 
the attention of his followers again diverted in the 
same way. The absence of a due sense of propor¬ 
tion among the monkeys, a thing that causes them 
to elevate minor matters over the more important 
proposals of the leader, explains in large measure 
their failure to develop a social life of any moment; 
and any group that fails to act wisely in keeping 
with the relative importance of things will like¬ 
wise fail to develop a high measure of collective 
efficiency. 

24. Suppression of the Spirit of Jealousy. 

In considering the things that are necessary in 
order that there may be a strong social fabric, the 
emotional nature cannot be ignored; and one of 
the things most essential is that there should be a 


162 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


mastery of the spirit of jealousy. So long as hu¬ 
man nature is constituted as it now is, we are go¬ 
ing to have the springs of jealousy in the human 
breast, and men are going to be jealous of each 
other. If allowed an unrestricted field in which to 
operate, this spirit of jealousy will prevent the 
building of a strong social fabric. Men may have 
strong bodies and keen intellects and yet may be 
unacceptable citizens unless they put the brakes on 
the spirit of jealousy, and unless they are alert to 
come to the rescue of those who are being beset 
purely because of jealousy. 

Untamed jealous spirits played a part in bring¬ 
ing on the great World War. Herbert Abbott Gib¬ 
bons says of the Young Persians who were trying 
to conduct a democracy in Persia: “Every man 
was suspicious and jealous of his neighbor.” Now, 
Germany had looked upon Persia as a legitimate 
field for commercial expansion. When the Young 
Persians, largely because of the spirit of jealousy, 
failed in their efforts to conduct a successful gov¬ 
ernment, Great Britain and Russia intervened and 
thus closed the door toward which Germany had 
been turning with yearning eyes of hope. This 
closed door, brought on in a large part by a spirit 
of jealousy, was one of the contributing causes 
of the World War. 

The men in all groups and in all ages who are to 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


163 


lead to higher or more sensible planes of thought 
are compelled to go in advance of the masses of the 
people. This natural, inevitable difference be¬ 
tween the leader and those that are led will be 
handled in different ways in the groups that are 
characterized by the jealous spirit and in those 
that are not. In groups not under the baneful 
domination of the jealous spirit, the differences 
between the leader and those led will be subjected 
to close scrutiny, but in calmness and with open- 
mindedness. If this study of findings brings the 
conviction that a helpful step in advance has been 
made, there will develop a movement to give to all 
the benefit arising from the pioneer work of the 
leader. 

But where the spirit of jealousy is rampant, 
those who are afflicted with it will have closed 
minds and perverted judgment. Having eyes, they 
will not see, and ears, they will not hear. The 
masses can see that there are differences between 
the man of advanced thought and themselves. In 
casting around for explanations as to the causes 
of this difference, jealous spirits, instead of ex¬ 
plaining that it represents an advance in thought, 
will ascribe it to sinister motives and evil pur¬ 
poses. Thus, while in a group measurably free 
from jealousy, the leader and the people finally 
come together by virtue of the lifting of the people 


164 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


to see the aims of the leader, in the group domi¬ 
nated by the jealous spirit, the leader, when unable 
to stand the pressure, must fall back to the errors 
of the masses, or must suffer crucifixion. If en¬ 
dowed with unusual strength he will be able to 
overcome the influence of the jealous spirit, but his 
work will be far less effective than it would have 
been in groups where the spirit of jealousy is less 
marked. 

We find the bees exercising restraint upon a 
jealous spirit that seeks the destruction of the ex¬ 
ceptional character. When a reigning queen in a 
hive discovers that other young queens are being 
developed she seeks to slay them. The seconding 
spirit present in the nature of the bees causes them 
to safeguard the young queens. They prevent 
their destruction. When the old queen finds that 
she is not going to be permitted to slay the young 
queens, she withdraws from the hive to set up an¬ 
other kingdom. At times when the death of bud¬ 
ding queens is regarded as necessary for the 
welfare of the hive, the old queen is allowed to slay, 
but never is this allowed when the jealous spirit 
alone would be gratified. 

When it is evident that the spirit of jealousy is 
dominant in a group, and that the bestowal of 
exceptional honors on an individual will cause him 
to be attacked, men will hesitate to do what ought 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


165 


to be done. They will not relish the embarrass¬ 
ment and possible destruction of some one merely 
because he received the honors that were due him. 
In this way members of groups encircle the group 
with flaming swords of jealousy, keep away the 
recognition needed to stimulate the life of the 
group, and yet wonder why more honors are not 
accorded. 

Those who are nearest a man of worth and can 
see many excellent traits that are only seen by 
those that are near, can do more to multiply his 
usefulness than can distant admirers. They can 
have the assurance that is born of full and intimate 
knowledge. Their testimony is due to have greater 
weight than the testimony of others more distant. 
It is, then, to the neighbors that the world must 
look for the initiation of the co-operative spirit 
upon which it depends for the creation of great 
characters. Since the jealous spirit works with 
the greater intensity upon objects that are near, 
men of exceptional parts who are members of 
groups dominated by it will miss that most desir¬ 
able of all brands of support, namely, that coming 
from home. In groups of such a type men will lack 
the proper support at home. Co-operation, so far 
as they are concercned, will have to come from 
abroad. In this way the very finest influence for 
the making of useful men—the home influence— 


166 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS' 


goes to waste in the groups ruled by the jealous 
spirit. The groups composed of members with 
minds not strongly tainted with the spirit of 
jealousy, being able to marshal behind men that 
powerful influence that radiates from home, will 
develop greater and more useful men than those 
groups that force men to look abroad for the co¬ 
operation which they should find at home. It is 
a perverse order of things, greatly impairing the 
efficiency of groups, for the prophet to be without 
honor in his own country and his own home. 

That the tendency toward jealousy is a factor 
that cannot be ignored with safety is illustrated 
by a comment made concerning the disarmament 
conference held in Washington, D. C., which took 
steps of a far reaching nature in the matter of re¬ 
ducing the naval armament of the world. A 
writer, commenting upon the outcome of the con¬ 
ference said: “If President Harding had been a 
fussy man or a timid man or a selfish man, or what 
is perhaps worse, a man of jealous complexion, the 
conference never could have been the success it 
was.” Those who are trying to create an efficient, 
national or racial group, and are slighting the 
question of the spirit of jealousy, are simply mak¬ 
ing a fatal blunder. 

25. Avoidance of Excessive Emotionalism. 

Races afflicted with excessive emotionalism will 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


167 


find themselves thoroughly aroused over a matter 
at one time, and cool with regard to the same 
matter at another time, without any change having 
been wrought in conditions. Leaders of emotional 
groups who allow themselves to be led into action 
because of marked enthusiasm found in their 
groups, often find themselves left alone when the 
inevitable cooling down ensues. This uncertainty 
causes the abler minds of such groups to be re¬ 
luctant to accept leadership in movements depend¬ 
ing upon the sustained zeal of followers. 

Where excessive emotionalism prevails, there is 
great heat manifested over proposed changes in 
policy. Policies that have outlived their usefulness 
continue because of the heat that will be encount¬ 
ered if steps are taken to improve them. The races 
that go forward are those that are torn away from 
outworn customs and ideas demonstrated to be 
erroneous. 

Excessive emotionalism, greatly impeding re¬ 
form movements, will cause groups thus charac¬ 
terized to be shunned. For where the spirit of 
reform is blunted, stagnation and decay will ensue, 
or development along injurious lines will be unin¬ 
terrupted. 

Where units are unduly emotional, there will be 
a tendency to confound men with causes. A worthy 
cause should not be allowed to suffer because of 


168 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


mere dislike of an individual. Yet that is exactly 
what happens in groups whose units are charac¬ 
terized by excessive emotionalism. 

The individualist, when swayed by a strong emo¬ 
tional nature, allows his mind to dwell on the 
person more than on the cause. Such an attitude 
of mind will cause one to follow a leader even when 
he goes wrong. An individualist, seeking his own 
advancement, without regard to the welfare of the 
group, can secure the support of other individual¬ 
ists that are fond of him, since, with individualists, 
it is the person and not the cause that counts. Thus, 
in groups where there is devotion to individuals 
rather than to principles, there is great instability. 

Since individualists, by their very nature, 
count more in their own estimation than the social 
body, they have no great relish for freedom of 
thought and speech. If an individualist is pur¬ 
suing a course that is unwise, and a member of a 
group makes that fact plain, the individualist is 
inclined to regard this act as a personal affront. 
To have collective efficiency, men must be willing 
to divorce their view from themselves, and allow 
men to oppose their views without regarding them 
as being personal opponents. Where individualists, 
as a matter of personal pride, regard themselves 
and their views as being tied together, there is a 
timidity about attacking errors, in view of the fact 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


169 


that attack will, under circumstances, provoke per¬ 
sonal hostility. 

Napoleon Bonaparte, toward the close of his re¬ 
markable career, commented upon the part that the 
emotional nature of his people played in his final 
fall from power. He said: “Had I been in 1815 the 
choice of the English as I was of the French, I 
might have lost the battle of Waterloo without 
losing a vote in the legislature or a soldier from 
my ranks.” 

It is quite difficult to have any settled policy in a 
group that is excessively emotional, as gusts of 
excitement can come along and seriously impair 
the work of the more serious element. 

When members of a group are characterized by 
excessive emotionalism they do not meet emer¬ 
gencies well. Their excitement has a tendency to 
befuddle their judgment. Under the stress of ex¬ 
citement they do things which one moment of calm 
reflection would show to have been utterly foolish. 

Soundness of judgment should always exist 
where large interests are involved, since in such 
cases there can be no such thing as a small error. 
All errors made in regard to big things are big 
errors. But wherever the emotions unduly hold 
sway there can not be the necessary soundness of 
judgment that should always accompany collective 
action. 


170 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


Those planning for the welfare of a group can¬ 
not afford to leave out of consideration its emo¬ 
tional nature. That which unduly and unneces¬ 
sarily stimulates the emotions should be avoided. 
Not much is to be hoped for in the way of collec¬ 
tive efficiency from a group that is excessively 
emotional. 

How excessive emotionalism can operate to im¬ 
pair the efficiency of a nation is quite aptly set 
forth in these words, taken from an address deliv¬ 
ered by Hon. Charles E. Hughes: 

“The professional politicians, who make a busi¬ 
ness of studying the motives that influence voters, 
proceed on the assumption that people are not 
swayed by reason, but by emotions. They plan 
their campaigns on that basis. 

Government by emotion may be interesting— 
hectic. It cannot be efficient.” 

26. Employment of Courtesy. 

The actions of men in groups depend in large 
measure upon their will to do. The spirit to do 
things can be greatly stimulated by courtesy. In 
a beehive the queen is the servant of all in that she 
is the mother of all the offspring that are to con¬ 
tinue the hive after the adults are dead. Her pres¬ 
ence in the hive is absolutely essential to its wel¬ 
fare. Mr. Maurice Maeterlinck says when there is 
no queen for a hive “the young will no longer be 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


171 


cared for; part of the inhabitants will wander in 
every direction, seeking their mother, in quest of 
whom others will sally forth from the hive; the 
workers engaged in constructing the comb will fall 
asunder and scatter; the foragers no-longer will 
visit the flowers; the guard at the entrance will 
abandon their post; and foreign marauders, all the 
parasites of honey, forever on the watch for oppor¬ 
tunities of plunder, will freely enter and leave 
without anyone giving a thought to the defense of 
the treasure that has been so laboriously gathered. 
And poverty, little by little, will steal into the city; 
the population will dwindle; and the wretched in¬ 
habitants soon will perish of distress and despair, 
though every flower of summer burst into bloom 
before them.” 

Now note the signal courtesy with which the 
queen, this civic asset of the hive, is treated. The 
authority just cited says: “The purest honey, spe¬ 
cially distilled and almost entirely assimilable, is 
reserved for her use alone. She has an escort that 
watches over her by day and night, that facilitates 
her maternal duties and gets ready the cells 
wherein the eggs shall be laid; she has loving at¬ 
tendants who pet and caress her, feed her and clean 
her, and even absorb her excrement.” 

The ants, also noted for their collective efficiency, 
make use of courtesy in connection with their 


172 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


labors. A number of ants were seen struggling 
with a load that seemed to be too heavy for them. 
They made several efforts to move it, but failed. 
They desisted from their efforts for a brief period 
and turned to stroking each other caressingly. 
They then returned to their task and moved the 
load. If men would get the best results out of 
men they must treat them with courtesy. 

In the Congress of the United States there is the 
utmost freedom of speech, each member being ex¬ 
pected to present his own views with the greatest 
possible force, regardless of the views of others, 
but it is required that all references of one Con¬ 
gressman to another must be couched in courteous 
language. 

All groups of men should make courtesy a part 
of their lives. There should be courtesy in all of 
their ordinary dealings with each other—courtesy 
in debate, and courtesy in their editorial expres¬ 
sions. Roughness of expression is certainly no con¬ 
tributing factor to the manifestation of collective 
efficiency. 

27. Possession of Tact. 

The feelings of a group must be taken into con¬ 
sideration. They must be handled in a way that 
will cause them to be factors in strengthening the 
activities of the group. Public servants whose duty 
it is to harness social forces should be persons who 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


173 


have acquired the art of working in such a pleasing 
manner as to beget as little friction as possible and 
a maximum spirit of co-operation. To do this re¬ 
quires tact. The highest results are never gained 
where there is an absence of tact. 

A man at the head of 29,000 men, in his search 
for the efficient man sends out a list of questions, 
among which you will find the following: 

“Has he tact and diplomacy, and can he meet the 
public fairly and squarely, creating friendly rela¬ 
tions and commanding the good will and respect of 
those with whom he comes in contact?” 

28. Possession of Courage. 

The law of inertia, holding that a body once in 
motion has a tendency to continue in motion in a 
uniform straight line, and that when at rest re¬ 
mains at rest unless acted upon by some outside 
force, operates not only in the physical world, but 
in the spiritual world. People who are stagnant 
like to remain stagnant. People who are moving 
like to go in directions which they have chosen. 
But sometimes stagnation means death. Some¬ 
times continuing to move in a given direction 
means destruction. If the tendency toward stag¬ 
nation is to be destroyed, or if the moving in a 
wrong direction is to be intercepted and changed 
to a right direction, some danger is necessarily in¬ 
volved. The martyrs of the world have been essen- 


174 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


tial to its progress. Groups of men found sleeping 
have had to be awakened, even if they destroyed 
those responsible for their awakening. If a group 
cannot produce characters with sufficient courage 
to incur their disfavor during the time they are 
being led from a wrong course into a right one, that 
group cannot make the progress that it should 
make. Courage, therefore, is essential to the prog¬ 
ress of society. 

29. Persistence. 

We are living in a universe of evolutionary proc¬ 
esses. Things are accomplished by slow stages. 
“First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain 
in the ear.” If such, then, is the method of our uni¬ 
verse, none but those who are persistent can gather 
fruits in this universe. No other nation in the 
world today has as extensive resources upon which 
to draw as the British Empire. Although the 
British are known to possess many striking charac¬ 
teristics, persistence must be rated as one of their 
greatest traits, and one that is in very large meas¬ 
ure responsible for their great holdings in the 
world. 

Two red ants were fighting. One ant succeeded 
in digging his mandibles into the body of the other 
and seemed to realize that it was only left for time 
to bring him the victory, if he would but maintain 
his hold. The bitten ant dragged his assailant 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 


175 


along and at intervals halted and tried to fight. 
But the other ant realized that the important thing 
for him to do was to concentrate on holding the 
death-grip. Thus, he did not pay the slightest at- 
' tention to anything that his victim did. He went 
wherever the doomed ant pulled him, but never 
released his hold. The two were prodded with a 
small stick, but the prodding was unnoticed by 
the victor ant. They were thrown into the water, 
but there was no relinquishment of the deadly grip. 
The conquering ant realized that persistence was 
the one quality needed at that stage, and he allowed 
nothing whatever to cause him to depart from that 
which he knew fully assured him of the victory if 
only he had persistence. 

Persistence is nature’s favorite quality. 

30. Energy. 

Wherever we find collective efficiency, whether 
among insects, larger animals or human beings, 
we find the members of the group tingling with 
energy. This is true of the hornets, the makers of 
paper; the bees, the manufacturers of honey; the 
ants, the herders of tiny cattle that they milk; and 
the beavers, wonderful carpenters of the watery 
realms. Among men you do not find collective effi¬ 
ciency where you find laziness, sluggishness and a 
love of ease. The Anglo-Saxon race has certainly 
manifested collective efficiency, and is character- 


176 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


ized by a “restless, discontented, striving, burning 
energy.” 

Some of the things set forth as necessary for the 
manifestation of collective efficiency are such as 
call for a full measure of mental alertness and 
much bodily activity on the part of members of a 
group. Physical conditions, therefore, that inter¬ 
fere with mental vigor and impair bodily health, 
work in opposition to collective efficiency. It is a 
significant fact that collective efficiency has not ap¬ 
peared in any large measure or lasted for any great 
length of time where atmospheric conditions have 
operated to sap mental vigor, or where the ravages 
of disease have rendered life insecure or kept the 
bodies of men enfeebled. Those, then, who would 
have a full measure of collective efficiency should 
give adequate attention to all things that con¬ 
tribute to bodily health, mental vigor and the ener¬ 
getic spirit that is seen to be everywhere essential 
to it. 

Mr. H. S. Williams, in an article on “Civilization” 
in the “Encyclopedia Britannica,” says: “We have 
but partly solved the mysteries of the progress of 
civilization when we have pointed out that each 
tangible stage of progress owed its initiative to a 
new invention or discovery of science. To go to the 
root of the matter we must explain how it came 
about that a given generation of men was in a 


ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS 177 

mental mood to receive the new invention or dis¬ 
covery.” Professor Huntington says that “the 
necessary mental mood is alertness, which is 
merely a manifestation of energy.” 

31. Practical Common Sense. 

Common sense is but the application of the prin¬ 
ciple of relativity to the affairs of life. There are 
things that are true in general, but are not to be 
accepted as binding under some circumstance. To 
have enduring success men must have minds able 
to adapt themselves to altered conditions, that will 
not hesitate to change when circumstances change. 

Moses taught the Jews that they should not labor 
on the Sabbath day—a very wise and necessary ar¬ 
rangement, as the experience of history shows. 
But they carried their devotion to the requirement 
entirely too far when they allowed the invading 
Romans to utilize the Sabbath for building near 
their walls fortifications from which attacks were 
to be launched. Common sense should have caused 
the Jews to suspend Sabbath observance to the ex¬ 
tent necessary to thwart the designs of the in¬ 
vaders. As it was, the Romans took advantage of 
their failure to exercise common sense with regard 
to this matter and gained great headway on those 
Sabbath days, so free from molestation. It was 
one of the chief contentions of Jesus that common 
sense should be used in the interpretation of regu- 


178 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


lations. It was in this spirit that He insisted upon 
His right to heal on the Sabbath day. 

❖ * * 

The virtues which we have now discussed under 
the general heading “Essential Elements, 1 ” afford 
opportunities for treatment from many more 
angles than those which have engaged our atten¬ 
tion. It has not been our aim to exhaust the treat¬ 
ment of them. Many of them have been ably and 
charmingly treated in some of the world’s best lit¬ 
erature. It has been our sole aim to show the social 
value of the qualities herein treated, and to estab¬ 
lish their connection with collective efficiency. 
Having, we hope, done this, we commend to our 
readers that great body of inspirational literature 
designed to write the finer qualities deeply in the 
hearts of men. 


SUMMARY OF THE ELEMENTS OF 
COLLECTIVE EFFICIENCY 


1 % A capability for self-renunciation. 

2. Keen sense of personal responsibility for the 

general welfare. 

3. Control of the appetites. 

4. Honesty that begets fidelity to trust and justi¬ 

fies a policy of faith in man. 

5. Reliability. 

6. Spirit of reconciliation. 

7. Suppression of the spirit of revenge. 

8. Love of one’s neighbor. 

9. Maintenance of family life. 

10. Ready tendency to second. 

11. The capability for readaptations. 

12. Possession of a self-curative capability. 

13. Possession of the ideal of unity. 

14. Spirit of tolerance. 

15. Patience. 

16. Promptness. 

17. The tendency to plan for the future. 

18. Curiosity that leads to the habit of inquiry. 

19. Recognition of the enlarged responsibility of 

leadership. 

20. Self-control. 


179 


GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


180 

21. Self-respect. 

22. Practice of relying upon the force of public 

opinion. 

23. Possession of a sense of proportion. 

24. Suppression of the spirit of jealousy. 

25. Avoidance of excessive emotionalism. 

26. Employment of courtesy. 

27. Possession of tact. 

28. Possession of courage. 

" ; stence. 

Energy. 

31. Practical common sense. 

MOUNTAIN PEAKS 

1. A capability for self-renunciation. 

2. Keen sense of personal responsibility for the 

general welfare. 

3. A ready tendency to second. 

4. A love of unity. 

5. The habit of inquiry. 

6. Honesty that cannot be shaken. 

These traits should by all means be developed to 
the highest possible point. 


CHAPTER VIII 


PROPER COMBINATION OF QUALITIES 

A vital factor in the matter of being able to mani¬ 
fest collective efficiency is a proper combination of 
qualities. It is possible for groups to possess some 
of the qualities that we have set forth, and yet re¬ 
main inefficient as groups. This is due to the fact 
that certain virtues are useless, and sometimes 
harmful when not combined with certain other 
virtues. The late Colonel Roosevelt said: “It 
seems to me that for the nation, as for the indi¬ 
vidual, what is most important is to insist on the 
vital need of combining certain sets of qualities, 
which separately are common enough and, alas, 
useless enough.” 

Once more we summon nature to give her lesson 
in support of the proposition that what is needed 
is the right combination of qualities. Chemists tell 
us that a hen’s egg and a snake’s poison are com¬ 
posed of about the same chemical constituents, and 
that the difference between the two arises out of a 
difference in the arrangement of molecules in the 
two. The molecules that compose the egg are so 
arranged as to produce nutritious food beneficial 
to the most delicate constitution. The same mole- 


181 


182 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


cules arranged differently constitute the deadly 
poison that can wreck the most robust constitution. 

Professor Shaler bears testimony to the im¬ 
portance of the matter of combination. He says in 
“The Neighbor”: “We see, though as yet but dimly, 
how the more or less temporary groupings of these 
inconceivably small units give us all the varied 
qualities of matter. In one order of arrangement, 
in any set of atoms, we have a molecule which sends 
forth a stream of actions that affects the realm 
about it in a certain manner. If we change the 
grouping of the association with no other altera¬ 
tion save that brought about by the change in the 
number or position of its units, the qualities it 
sends forth are altered; it may be in effect in¬ 
finitely, so that an inconceivable variety of proper¬ 
ties can be produced by the constituent units. Thus 
by a mere shifting of the stations of the thirty 
atoms of carbon in a molecule of a certain kind of 
alcohol, species of that group may be produced in 
number so great as to transcend the imagination. 
The sum of the innovations thus originated may 
far exceed a million million, and each of the per¬ 
turbations gives rise to substances of new qualities 
—that is, to forms of matter each of which has a 
peculiar influence on its environment. It is evident 
that even in the relatively simple conditions of the 
atoms of a molecule, what appear to be very slight 


COMBINATION OF QUALITIES 183 


alterations in the relation of its atomic units to 
each other in some inevitable way alter the quality 
of the action which the association exercises on the 
individuals about it. v 

In view of this fact no final consolation should 
come to any group merely because it is found out 
that all men are fundamentally alike. They are 
fundamentally alike, but in one group the qualities 
are arranged in a certain order, producing poison, 
whereas in another they are so arranged that a 
most beneficent result follows. 

The Haitians had courage—a marvelous amount 
of it—but courage alone did not give them an en¬ 
during government. Along with their courage they 
had excitable natures. Exasperated because of the 
killing of political prisoners by the President of 
Haiti, the Haitians violated international law by 
dragging him from the French legation, in 
which he had taken refuge, and in a moment of 
frenzy they tore him limb from limb. French 
soldiers were called to restore order, but later re¬ 
tired in favor of American soldiers. Thus this 
momentary outburst of emotions brought about a 
loss of Haitian independence. So, what did it profit 
the Haitians if they ardently loved their country, if 
they cherished their independence, if they were 
characterized by courage—what did it profit them 
if they possessed these characteristics, but failed to 


184 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


control their emotions and thus forfeited their 
independence so dearly bought? 

On the other hand, the ability of the British to 
master their emotions has enabled them to develop 
persistence, a trait that has contributed so very 
much to their success in the world. Since they are 
not so easily swayed by their emotions, they can 
calmly pick their way and can choose policies in 
which they can persist. The highly emotional man 
or group or race must often retrace steps taken 
in a time of unreflecting enthusiasm. Like the 
Haitians, the British have courage, but it is ac¬ 
companied by emotional control, and it is this com¬ 
bination that wins. 

We have laid great stress upon the necessity of 
having a ready tendency to second. While this 
trait is absolutely essential, it will lead to endless 
woe unless it is associated with the habit of inquiry. 
The world is yet infested with selfish individualists 
who have the disposition to prey upon their unsus¬ 
pecting fellows. Unless men have the habit of in¬ 
quiry and the power of analysis which this habit 
ultimately brings, they will the more easily become 
the prey of self-seeking individualists, and will 
often be fooled into seconding men and measures 
that should call forth their bitter opposition. 

Mention has been made of the great value of the 
spirit of the initiative in members of a group. But 


COMBINATION OF QUALITIES 185 


unless this trait is possessed in connection with the 
spirit of seconding it will prove to be a great curse. 
A person is aroused to the point of trying to ac¬ 
complish a certain good end. When the spirit of 
seconding is lacking, this person will not seek to 
find out who else has been moved to act in the same 
direction; will not endeavor to become identified 
with a movement already started, but will in¬ 
augurate a new one. Therefore, in groups lacking 
in the seconding spirit you are likely to find num¬ 
bers of movements of a similar nature, none of 
them succeeding. This condition will be found to 
exist even in the face of a dire necessity. 

There were certain African tribes that were as 
brave and as daring as mortals ever could be. But 
they did not have the habit of inquiry; did not keep 
up with Europe in the matter of inventions and the 
mastery of the earth’s resources, and as a result 
they were not the equals of the Europeans upon the 
battlefield. Their very courage was their destruc¬ 
tion, because it was not accompanied with the habit 
of inquiry. 

When a group finds that the virtues which it pos¬ 
sesses have not brought what was expected, it is 
not the part of wisdom to insist upon parading the 
conceded virtues upon the theory that they have 
been undervalued. Rather let there be searching 
of a most diligent character in the hope of finding 


186 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


whatever it is that is needed to accompany the 
other great virtues. Let it be remembered that 
racial success is under a law like everything else 
in this universe of law, and whenever and wherever 
it is not on hand it is absent because some portion 
of the law governing the matter has not been com¬ 
plied with. 


CHAPTER IX 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 

So far as our ears make report, this vast uni¬ 
verse of ours is operated without noise. Despite 
the seeming ease with which its affairs are con¬ 
ducted, its movements represent phenomena far 
beyond the comprehension of the mind of man. 
The great nations of the world that have developed 
collective efficiency conduct their affairs in an 
orderly manner, without undue noise and ap¬ 
parently with great ease. But the task must not 
be esteemed a small one because of the seeming ease 
with which it is performed, any more than we can 
look lightly upon the matter of operating a noise¬ 
less universe. Some of the world’s greatest trage¬ 
dies have resulted from the cherishing of mistaken 
notions with regard to possessing collective effi¬ 
ciency. When large groups grapple with problems 
that are beyond their capability and failures come, 
they are not small failures but often are accom¬ 
panied by great distress. 

Groups should not allow themselves to be de¬ 
ceived by the simple presence in their midst of 
individuals with great talents. The Neanderthal 
man, who is reputed to have preceded us upon this 

187 


188 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


earth, had a far more powerful frame than what 
we have, but he disappeared in the presence of 
smaller human beings who practiced co-operation 
while he depended upon his power as an individual. 
Transformation of groups from a state of ineffi¬ 
ciency to that of efficiency does not always go hand 
in hand with the development of powerful individ¬ 
uals. 

It must not be thought by groups that all in their 
midst who have mastered the arguments in favor 
of co-operation are co-operators. Individualists 
will appear on the scene well versed in all the argu¬ 
ments pertaining to co-operation, able to present 
them convincingly, but they will have no end in 
view save that of benefiting themselves. A close 
study of the lives of those individualists who are 
robed in the garments of co-operators will show 
that about their only interest in co-operation is 
manifested when it is headed in their direction. 
They are ready to cast the doctrine aside as soon 
as it has served their personal ends. They clamor 
loudly for co-operation when this would bring 
profit to themselves, but seem not to think of prac¬ 
ticing it with reference to others. 

Groups must beware of thinking that they have 
a co-operative life merely because some leaders 
bind themselves together. Bandits have been 
known to form very close unions, but bandits are 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 189 


not true co-operators. They have no genuine inter¬ 
est in each other. What one bandit does for 
another is not necessarily based upon interest in 
his welfare, but may be that which he feels he must 
do to advance his own interests. Combinations 
that seem to be co-operation may be permeated 
with the rankest sort of selfishness. Take, for an 
example, a pack of wolves. The wolf has acquired 
the instinct of working with his fellows, but is lack¬ 
ing in the real co-operative spirit. This is shown 
by the fact that co-operation ceases as soon as food 
is secured. The bees, having more of the real spirit 
of co-operation, have their food in common, the 
opposite of the practice of the wolves. 

Moreover, the fundamental anti-social spirit of 
the wolf shows itself when one of the pack is 
wounded. Not having the true spirit of co-opera¬ 
tion, the wolves attack their wounded companion 
and destroy him. There are men with wolfish 
minds and hearts. They have the penetration to 
see the benefit to arise from co-operation; have the 
adjustability that enables them to work in a com¬ 
bination, but individualism, which has not been 
altered, only submerged, again breaks out. It is 
individualists of this type that start great co-opera¬ 
tive enterprises, but wind up by perverting them to 
their personal use. Thus it behooves all groups to 
be on their guard concerning the spirit that lies 


190 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


behind combinations that are formed by its mem¬ 
bers. Banks can be organized, not to help, but to 
fleece a community. Mutual good may not be the 
actuating motive at all. 

Pitiable indeed is the plight of untransformed 
groups! They develop a leadership that has what 
Grover Cleveland described as “the cohesive power 
of public plunder.” In order for this leadership to 
be dethroned, co-operation is needed, but this never 
comes in proper measure in untransformed groups. 
Hence, such groups are doomed to be afflicted with 
blood-sucking leadership. 

Sometimes there seems to be no hope of the re¬ 
demption of the masses from their fellows that 
are so selfishly exploiting them, except through the 
intervention of a truly co-operative group. This is 
in a measure an explanation as to why the English 
control such vast numbers of peoples of alien races 
with a minimum of friction, all things considered. 
Many alien groups that are individualistic in spirit 
were ruled by their own despotic leaders. Such a 
spirit can never lead to success. Disaster is certain 
to overtake anything that is dominated by it. The 
wreckage, the chaos, the utter inefficiency begotten 
by the individualistic spirit served as an invitation 
to the English to intervene. 

There is perhaps no mentality on the earth 
keener than that of the English for personal gain, 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 191 


but along with this desire for personal gain goes 
the notion of rendering real service in return. This 
co-operative spirit is such an improvement over 
what was suffered at the hands of exploiters who 
were not at all co-operative, that there is but slight 
clamor for the displacement of the English, and the 
placing of power again in the hands of those who 
have no genuine love whatever for their fellows. 

Groups of men that are co-operative in their na¬ 
tures will, of course, have forms through which 
they operate. Groups that do not have co-operative 
natures, but are seeking to become co-operative, 
should avoid the mistake of thinking that their 
problems will be solved by merely adopting the 
forms worked out by the co-operative spirits. 
There is no magic power in a form. The donkey 
must do a great deal more than put on a lion’s skin 
before he can fill a lion’s place in the world. The 
people of Haiti admired the form of government 
adopted by the people of the United States, and pro¬ 
ceeded to copy it very closely for their own use. 
But they did not examine closely the mentality, the 
type of mind that was behind this form. The sum 
of the traits of the Haitians working in this demo¬ 
cratic form soon made of itself something else. 
The Encyclopedia Britannica says: “In practice, 
however, it resolves itself into a military despotism, 
the power being in the hands of the president.” 


192 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


The Mexicans discarded the monarchical form of 
government and sought to establish a democracy. 
Now, in a democracy, the post of leadership re¬ 
mains within calling distance of the people, so that 
they may jointly indicate the course they are to 
pursue at any given time by the type of leader 
chosen for that occasion. In an autocracy, leader¬ 
ship is a permanent possession of the ruler. The 
Mexicans, although operating under the form of a 
democracy, made the leadership of Diaz perma¬ 
nent, and practically forbade anyone to aspire for 
the post, a right which goes with a democracy. 
Whereas, in a true democracy Diaz would have 
been removed by the expression of the will of the 
people, as it was he was driven out only by force. 
About four men have ruled since his day and two 
of them were assassinated. 

Without transforming their spirits the Russians 
sought a transformation of the government. They 
adopted a republican form of government under 
the leadership of Kerensky. But, still being of the 
spirit to be governed along autocratic lines, an 
autocracy sprang up in the place of the democratic 
form that had come before the needed change of 
spirit. 

Without undergoing the necessary transforma¬ 
tion of spirit, the Chinese sought to establish a 
republican form of government. Having a demo- 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 193 


cratic form without the democratic spirit to oper¬ 
ate it, they have had some very bitter experiences. 

From time to time masterful characters have 
arisen in Africa and have succeeded in building 
great empires; but neglecting the matter of the 
type of spirit possessed by the people, the govern¬ 
ments have collapsed when the great characters 
creating them have passed away, the people as a 
whole not having the associative spirit. Liv¬ 
ingstone says: “Formerly all the Magarja were 
united under the government of their great chief 
Undi, but after Undi’s death it fell to pieces. * * * 
This has been the fate of every African Empire 
from time immemorial.” 

Persons within and persons without a group may 
be led to believe that a divisive nature has been 
transformed into an associative one because of a 
species of unity that comes as a result of outside 
pressure. Let us suppose that the molecules of gas 
have a capacity for reasoning. Crowded together 
in a shell, they fly through space, congratulating 
each other upon the closeness of association exist¬ 
ing in their ranks, each molecule hugging its neigh¬ 
bor in a fond embrace. After traveling thus for a 
few miles the steel shell inclosing the molecules of 
gas explodes. As soon as the outside pressure is 
withdrawn each molecule reverts to its old divisive 
tendency and proceeds to get as far as possible 


194 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


from every other molecule. Something on this 
order happens whenever human beings who 
haven’t co-operative natures are thrown together. 
Outside pressure may cement them for a time, but 
unless their natures have been made over into true 
co-operative ones the withdrawal of this pressure 
will be followed by a process akin to that just men¬ 
tioned as taking place when gas is liberated from 
the steel shell. 

The brown man of Asia has not manifested a 
thoroughly co-operative nature, although there are 
signs of growing unity. But Mr. Lothrop Stod¬ 
dard thus describes this development: “The brown 
world’s present growing solidarity is not a positive 
but a negative phenomenon. It is an alliance, 
against a common foe, of traditional enemies who, 
once the bond was loosed in victory, would in¬ 
evitably quarrel among themselves. Turk would 
fly at Arab and Turkoman at Persian, as of yore, 
while India would become a welter of contending 
Hindus, Moslems, Sikhs, Gurkhas, and heaven 
knows what, until perchance disciplined anew by 
the pressure of a Yellow Peril. In Western Asia it 
is possible that the spiritual and cultural bonds of 
Islam might temper these struggles, but Western 
Asia is precisely that part of the brown world 
where population-pressure is absent. India, the 
overpeopled brownland, would undergo such a 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 195 


cycle of strife as would devour its human surplus 
and render distant aggressions impossible.” 

For hundreds of years the Irish felt themselves 
oppressed by the English. This outside pressure 
unified the Irish to some extent, but left them 
divided into Northern and Southern Ireland. Eng¬ 
land made an offer to Ireland that impressed world 
opinion as being worthy of acceptance by the Irish 
people. Instead of uniting all Ireland, as was 
hoped, this offer caused one part of Ireland to feel 
less kindly toward England, failed to heal the 
breach between Northern and Southern Ireland, 
and was the cause of a split in that part of Ireland 
that had been manifesting a strong spirit of unity. 
Perhaps the greatest of all problems before the 
Irish is that of so transforming Irish nature as to 
make it more associative in fundamental tendency. 

The overwhelming part played by the spirit in 
the conduct of the great collective enterprise 
known as democracy is seen in the contrast be¬ 
tween the conduct of the English and that of the 
Haitians, Mexicans, and others not fundamentally 
of an associative bent. The people of England 
have traits needed for the operation of a democ¬ 
racy. They concede to the majority the right to 
direct the course of the group. They give to all an 
opportunity to shape the collective will, and all 
bow to it when it has been clearly expressed. With 


196 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


these and other essential traits, they are able to 
conduct a democracy even without adopting a dem¬ 
ocratic form of government. Thus we have associ¬ 
ative natures conducting a true democracy without 
a democratic form of government far more accept¬ 
ably than individualistic natures can with such a 
form. The great overshadowing need of races and 
groups is not primarily a change of forms, but a 
change of spirits. 

An analysis made of the character of Mr. Lloyd 
George of England by the London Spectator, forc¬ 
ibly illustrates the long journey to be travelled be¬ 
fore full transformation is reached. Mr. Lloyd 
George is a Welshman, a Celt belonging to the same 
racial group as the Irish and the French. The 
Celtic nature is not as co-operative as the Anglo- 
Saxon, the Irish furnishing a striking illustration 
of the fundamentally divisive character of the spir¬ 
it of the Celt. The Spectator asserts that Mr. Lloyd 
George has never been really transformed from 
the individualistic to the co-operative type. It says 
of him: 

“Lloyd George never understood and never will 
understand the English or their way of looking at 
things. They are to him strange, odd, stupid crea¬ 
tures, to be managed and cajoled, but there is with 
them in his mind no real community of feeling- 
no mystic freemasonry of the soul. 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 197 


“Finally, Lloyd George, had he been a true and 
effective member of an English political party, 
would have learned how to co-operate with other 
men—a very different thing from leading, or buy¬ 
ing, or cajoling, or coercing them. As it was, he 
never learned to curb his impatient temper and to 
get men to work with him, not under him. And so 
he was always turned in upon himself and became 
day by day and year by year more complete an 
egoist—trusting to none but himself and within 
himself nothing but force, dexterity and the appeal 
to the selfish side of humanity. But egoism in the 
end is sure to fail. Every triumph is but a mile¬ 
stone on the road to ultimate defeat. Yet even 
now Lloyd George does not realize what has hap¬ 
pened and is pathetically distracted to find that the 
old spells no longer w r ork. He thinks ‘only one 
more speech, only one more bold thrust of the 
sword, and all will be well.’ It is not so. The en¬ 
chanter enchants no longer. The magic circle is 
erased. The wand is broken. It is not long before 
Merlin will retire sad and silent to his cave.” 

If Mr. Lloyd George is not to be regarded as hav¬ 
ing been transformed from being an individualist 
into a co-operator, then the possibility of trans¬ 
formation may be doubted. But over against the 
case of Mr. George as thus presented we cite that 
of Disraeli. The Jewish race, of which he was a 


198 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


member, is regarded by the late Prof. Nathaniel S. 
Shailer as the least transformable of all the races 
of mankind; yet the Spectator says that he under¬ 
went the transformation which it considers never 
to have taken place in the case of Mr. George. Says 
the Spectator: 

“In the case of Lloyd George this intensification 
of egoism through alienation and isolation might 
have been corrected (as it was in the case of Dis¬ 
raeli) if he had been a genuine member of one of 
the two great political parties. ‘The gods willed it 
otherwise.’ Lloyd George was never a Liberal in 
the sense in which Mr. Gladstone and Sir Henry 
Campbell-Bannerman were Liberals. He was first 
a Welsh member; that is, one of a group in a work¬ 
ing alliance with the Liberals, then a radical free¬ 
lance heavily fed to serve under the Liberal ban¬ 
ner, and then a lone wolf leading a coalition. He 
thus never had the need of a Disraeli first to think 
out a scheme of politics and then gradually to edu¬ 
cate his party into its acceptance. That made Dis¬ 
raeli into an Englishman, or at any rate into a man 
who thoroughly understood, admired, and in the 
end loved the English race. It eliminated the Juda¬ 
ism.” 

The humble-bee is an imperfect transformation 
of the solitary bee. The humble-bee and her 
daughter-insects co-operate. The young females 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 199 

add to the cells provided by the mother and gather 
food for storage therein. But upon the approach 
of winter the community is broken up and the 
males and the workers die. The young queens that 
live through the winter start fresh nests in the 
succeeding year. Thus the humble-bee because of 
imperfect transformation, because it has failed to 
imbibe a full measure of the spirit of co-operation, 
falls far short of the wonderful achievements of 
the Apis that does not break up co-operation upon 
the approach of winter. 

The civilized nations of all the world were pro¬ 
foundly shocked by the actions of the Greeks in 
executing their former leaders who had failed in 
their great adventure against the Turks under the 
leadership of King Constantine, after the close of 
the world war. While the deed was a horrible one 
it was but the manifestation of imperfect trans¬ 
formation. The Greek nation as a whole was re¬ 
sponsible for what had happened. It should have 
had forces within its life sufficient to prevent the 
undertaking. But in spite of the excellence of the 
Greek spirit along many lines, it seems yet unable 
to grasp the idea of collective responsibility. In¬ 
stead of concentrating the blame on the men in the 
lead at the time of the failure, the Greeks should 
have distributed it among themselves, giving to 
each one his dividend of responsibility. The press 


200 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


of the world showered bitter criticism upon the 
Greeks because of the execution, but were the 
Greek people prepared to feel collective shame? 
Or did the Greek mind throw upon the officials 
then in charge of the government the blame for the 
execution? 

In addition to the deficiency mentioned, the of¬ 
ficial statement of the cause of the execution 
charges in essence that the influence of baneful 
individualism is yet powerful in the life of the 
people. The statement says: 

“They concealed from the people the danger of 
King Constantine’s return, which they sought in 
order to enjoy high office under him. They stifled 
public opinion against them by terrorist methods 
and arranged a pretended offensive against Con¬ 
stantinople, thereby bringing about the enemy’s 
offensive.” 

So, according to the testimony of the Greeks 
their thousands of years of civilization have left 
them cursed with individualism, which they sought 
to get rid of by means of firing-squads. What the 
Greeks needed to have done was to have acted upon 
the suggestion of Aristotle, made centuries ago, to 
the effect that human nature is subject to change; 
and they should have addressed their attention to 
their mentality, which is the fundamental cause of 
their lapses stretching backward through the ages. 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 201 


It is to be borne in mind and should never, never 
be forgotten that individualism is the character¬ 
istic spirit of every generation of every nation, 
that it must be eliminated from the life of every 
generation, and that any failure so to do in any 
generation is likely to bring on some such sorry 
spectacle as that made by the Greeks in the eyes of 
the world. 

When may a group be favorably compared with 
groups manifesting collective efficiency? When 
it has developed individuals with brilliant intel¬ 
lects, men and women of genius? When its mem¬ 
bers have amassed great wealth as individuals? 
When there are numerous organizations designed 
to bring personal benefits to members ? There may 
be a truly wonderful showing along these lines 
while the true associative spirit is still missing. 
The decisive question to be asked of a group is not 
as to its intelligence or wealth or the number of its 
men and women of note, but as to the extent to 
which it is addressing itself to its joint tasks. Are 
its members quick to recognize the joint nature of 
a task? Are they quick to act when a joint task 
looms before them ? What is being done for delin¬ 
quents ? What arrangements have been made for 
the care of orphans, the crippled, the lame, the 
blind, the deaf, the dumb, the infirm, the aged 
poor, for public education? Is there an excess of 


202 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


deaths over births? Is that which is best in the 
group being passed around and offered to all ? Are 
the strong in close sympathetic touch with the 
weak, helping them to rise? Is the reformer at 
work to cause the group to make necessary changes 
in its life, and are his efforts seconded prop¬ 
erly? How are those questions being met which 
affect the group as a whole? However much two 
groups may resemble each other in point of 
achievements, they are not even of the same order, 
if one group gives attention to joint tasks while 
the members of the other give attention to in¬ 
dividual tasks only, or to such things as hold out 
some form of personal reward. 

A thorough knowledge of the'science of collec¬ 
tive efficiency will not of itself bring about com¬ 
plete transformation and the manifestation of 
collective efficiency. Along with the knowledge 
there must be the impulse and the skill to execute 
things that cannot be imparted from the outside. 
A group may be thoroughly harnessed in all that 
the science of collective efficiency offers, and may 
yet remain ineffective as a group. 

The case of the Pedestrian Locust clearly illus¬ 
trates the thought here presented. Fabre says of 
him: “The other Locusts cannot be described as 
noisy, but this one is absolutely dumb. In vain 
have the most delicate ears listened with all their 


IMPERFECT TRANSFORMATION 203 


might. This silent one must have other means of 
expressing his joys. What they are I do not know. 

“Nor do I know why the insect remains without 
wings, a plodding wayfarer, when his near kins¬ 
men on the same Alpine slopes have excellent 
means of flying. He possesses the beginnings of 
wings and wing-cases, gifts inherited by the larva; 
but he does not develop these beginnings and make 
use of them. He persists in hopping, with no fur¬ 
ther ambition; he is satisfied to go on foot, to re¬ 
main a Pedestrian Locust, when he might, one 
would think, acquire wings. To flit rapidly from 
crest to crest, over valleys deep in snow, to fly from 
one pasture to another, would certainly be great 
advantages to him. His fellow-dwellers on the 
mountain-tops possess wings and are all the better 
for them. It would be very profitable to extract 
from their sheaths the sails he keeps packed away 
in useless stumps; and he does not do it. Why? 

“No one knows why. Anatomy has these puz¬ 
zles, these surprises, these sudden leaps, which de¬ 
fy our curiosity. In the presence of such profound 
problems the best thing is to bow in all humility, 
and pass on.” 


CHAPTER X 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 

We now have before us the tremendous task con¬ 
fronting mankind, the transformation of the 
spirits of men and the equipping of those spirits in 
such a way as will cause them to act together nobly 
in all matters of general concern and transmit this 
capability and this practice to those that are to 
come after them. What are the agencies to be re¬ 
lied upon to do this work? 

It is a false hope to think that the needed virtues 
may be transmitted from one generation to an¬ 
other through the blood. Mr. Edwin Grant Conk¬ 
lin, Professor in Biology in Princeton University, 
says: “In this sense we have inherited from our 
ancestors language, literature, science, property, 
customs, institutions. These are no part of our 
germ-plasm, nor even of our blood and brain, but 
rather of our environment. Because of this social 
inheritance society may advance from age to age, 
each generation starting where the preceding one 
ended, as in a relay race—whereas, in our germinal 
inheritance each generation begins where the pre¬ 
vious one began, namely, from an egg-cell, and the 
whole course of development must be repeated in 

204 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 205 


each generation. Civilization is the result of the 
accumulations of social inheritance, and the future 
progress of society must depend largely upon this 
capacity of profiting by the experiences of former 
generations.” 

The greatest of all agencies that shape the spir¬ 
its that operate in groups is social heredity. Kidd 
says: 

“It is the nature of its social heredity which cre¬ 
ates a ruling people. It is what it lacks in its social 
heredity that relegates a people to the position of 
an inferior race. 

“In the national and racial inheritance of a peo¬ 
ple the influence of the elements of its social hered¬ 
ity insensibly envelops and saturates the entire col¬ 
lective mind. Imposed on the young at an early 
age and under conditions of emotion the effects of 
inheritance thus transmitted exceed and outlast 
those of every other influence in life.” 

* * * 

“The will to attain to an end imposed on a people 
by the emotion of an ideal organized and trans¬ 
mitted through social heredity is the highest ca¬ 
pacity of mind. It can only be imposed in all its 
strength through the young. So to impose it has 
become the chief end of education in the future. 

“Oh, you blind leaders who seek to convert the 
world by labored disputations! Step out of the 


206 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


way or the world must fling you aside. Give us the 
Young. Give us the Young and we will create a 
new mind and a new earth in a single generation.” 

Nature offers an analogy that serves to add em¬ 
phasis to this exhortation of Kidd with regard to 
the young. Whatever the bees are to do to de¬ 
velop a queen must not be neglected too long. The 
labors in this direction, to be successful, must be 
begun within three days after the bee is hatched. 
Any female can be developed by them into a queen 
if the task is begun within the time named. Be¬ 
yond that period all efforts in that direction would 
be wholly useless. Accepting this suggestion from 
nature let there be the utmost care of the young 
child. 

A great question that confronts every group is 
as to what it has to offer to the mind of the child 
in the way of a community atmosphere. Is the tone 
of life in the community predominantly selfish or 
altruistic; jealous or generous; constructive or de¬ 
structive; individualistic or co-operative; con¬ 
cerned about the future or occupied wholly with 
the thoughts of the moment ? Upon the thinking of 
the community depends the kind of individual be¬ 
ing made of the child. If the child comes out of this 
social mould with a co-operative spirit, he has in 
him the possibilities of a good citizen, a good team 
mate. If he comes out as an individualist, it will 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 207 

be difficult to change him into good governmental 
material. 

When society bends down over the child with 
the smile of benevolence; when he is blessed by the 
collective action of his group; when he can feel the 
impulse of a common pull; when he sees selfish¬ 
ness rebuked and unselfishness rewarded; when he 
sees envy, jealousy, malice, revenge and all the 
other baser motives of mankind relegated to the 
rear and denied the seats of honor; then we get a 
soul determined thenceforth to find its own high¬ 
est good in the good of his group. 

The Mother 

The mother is the chief instrument through 
which the social inheritance functions in shaping 
the mentality of the child. Kidd tells of an experi¬ 
ment with wild ducks which shows how the mother 
imparts traits after birth which have been regard¬ 
ed as coming with birth. He approached a nest of 
wild ducklings just as they were emerging from 
their shells, the mother being absent at the time. 
These ducklings showed no fear of him whatever. 
One of them he held in his hand without protest on 
its part. Going away for a while he returned and 
found the mother with her young. Upon seeing 
him the mother uttered a loud squawk and all the 
young fled. Kidd caught the same duckling that 


208 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


he had previously held in his hand, but now it was 
frightened and was trembling in every feather. 
The mother, whose training and experiences had 
taught her to fear man, had imparted this fear to 
her ducklings and had transformed them from 
trustful creatures into thoroughly suspicious ones. 
Man’s inheritance, likewise, is greatly from the 
mother’s mind, and not alone from her blood. 

Religion 

Transformation is peculiarly the task of religion. 
Prof. Hocking, in his book, “Human Nature and 
Its Remaking,” says: “The great religions have 
spoken ill of original human nature; but they have 
never despaired of its possibilities.... In spite of 
the revolutionary character of their standards, 
they are still, for the most part, committed to the 
faith that they are reachable. And they have so 
far trusted themselves to this faith that the entire 
accumulation of scientific knowledge regarding the 
determination of character, regarding heredity, es¬ 
pecially regarding the instincts, leaves them un¬ 
moved .... Religion declines to limit the moral 
possibility of human nature.” 

Religion places before its followers common 
ideals that unify them and cause them to labor for 
common ends. It is dedicated to the task of elim¬ 
inating selfishness which inevitably gives rise to a 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 209 


blighting individualism. By insisting on a change 
of heart, men are brought to master those impulses 
that came into their nature in the period when it 
was the chief occupation of men to wage aggres¬ 
sive warfare and to defend themselves from at¬ 
tacks growing out of greed and hatred. If collec¬ 
tive efficiency is to be obtained, there can be no ig¬ 
noring of religion. 

The minister of religion should hold in mind that 
he has an earthly as well as a heavenly duty; that 
he is not only required to fashion souls for citizen¬ 
ship in heaven but for citizenship on earth as well. 
The kingdom is to come in earth even as it is in 
heaven. Every element that is demanded for col¬ 
lective efficiency has support in the Bible, and he 
who would aid in fashioning the model social group 
will find in the Bible a text to serve as a basis for 
every point involved. There is that in the Bible 
which, properly expounded, will stimulate the habit 
of seconding, the spirit of inquiry, the love of unity, 
the suppression of jealousy; will stimulate each 
and every virtue necessary for collective efficiency, 
whether mental, moral or temperamental; will 
create beings able to act together enduringly. 
Here is room for the Bible student to establish the 
connection between it and each element necessary 
for the manifestation of collective efficiency. Mr. 
Wells says: “Education is the preparation of the 


210 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


individual for the community, and religious train¬ 
ing is the core of that preparation.” 

But the workers along religious lines must not 
make the mistake of thinking that goodness is the 
only requirement. It is very true that without 
certain moral qualities there can never be endur¬ 
ing co-operation of the highest order, but it is 
equally true that simple goodness of itself will not 
suffice. The Esquimaux are people of good char¬ 
acter, yet they are utterly lacking in collective ef¬ 
ficiency. The Encyclopedia Brittanica says of 
them: , 

“They never go to war with each other, and 
rarely come to blows—morbidly anxious not to give 
offense.” But there is nothing to be said of their 
racial power, of their achievements as groups. 
There is practically nothing to be seen in all their 
land except what can be done by one person. Prof. 
Shailer Matthews says: “Advance in civilization 
has not been accomplished by simply producing in¬ 
dividuals of high religious and moral character.” 

Education 

The traits of a race determine its destiny. Dr. 
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Research Professor of 
Zoology, Columbia University, says: “If I were 
asked, What is the greatest danger which threat¬ 
ens the American republic today?' I would certain- 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 211 


ly reply, ‘The gradual dying out among our people 
of those hereditary traits through which the prin¬ 
ciples of our religious, political, and social founda¬ 
tions were laid down, and their insidious replace¬ 
ment by traits of less noble character.’ ” 

Benjamin Kidd has this to say: “The lacking 
qualities are not intellectual at all—even the high¬ 
est intellectual capacity in no way tends to compen¬ 
sate for the lack of these qualities. We may go 
even further and say that its possession without 
these traits tends further to lower the racial effi¬ 
ciency.” 

Mr. Lecky says that in philosophy, in statesman¬ 
ship, in sculpture, in painting, and probably also 
in music, the Greeks “attained almost or altogether 
the highest limits of human perfection.” Yet 
when the great collective task of shaping the des¬ 
tiny of the ancient world was put into their hands 
by the great conqueror, Alexander, they utterly 
failed to measure up to the great responsibility. 

Since the destiny of a race, a nation or a group 
is determined by its traits, the question of trans¬ 
forming traits is of sufficient importance to justify 
the establishment of a department in higher in¬ 
stitutions of learning devoted to that matter. This 
department should not only acquire a scientific 
knowledge of traits, but should develop methods of. 
shaping them. Universities are now engaged in 


212 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


extension work. Let them address themselves to 
the task of reshaping the traits of the people as 
well as that of imparting knowledge to them. 

The advanced groups of men have mapped out 
systems of education which are being copied by the 
various races of mankind, and by some that do not 
at present possess in sufficient measure the princi¬ 
pal traits that have put the advanced races where 
they are. The copying races must not make the 
mistake of thinking that their task is finished when 
they simply acquire the knowledge wrought out 
by the advanced races. This, of itself, will no more 
suffice for backward groups than an acquisition 
of all the botanical knowledge of ants by grasshop¬ 
pers will cause the latter to act as do the former. 
In addition to learning what the ants know, grass¬ 
hoppers must also develop the ants’ traits if they 
are to share their destiny. Likewise, backward 
groups must acquire certain of the traits as well as 
the knowledge of the more advanced groups if their 
success is to be duplicated. 

The systems of education of the advanced races 
will be found to be deficient in this matter of pro¬ 
viding for the proper shaping of traits. Being 
strong in some of the most important traits needed 
by backward groups, they have omitted provisions 
for their development. In this way the mere copy¬ 
ing groups will have grave disappointments. The 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 213 

copying groups will find themselves studying the 
same books, acquiring the same knowledge, com¬ 
pleting the same courses as the advanced groups, 
yet utterly unable to make the same use of the edu¬ 
cation acquired. 

The value of education in a group is determined 
by the traits upon which it is laid, just as the qual¬ 
ity of a crop is determined by the character of the 
soil in which the seeds are dropped. The same sort 
of cotton seeds placed in different kinds of soil will 
produce different results, and the same sort of edu¬ 
cation planted amid different kinds of traits will 
produce different results. 

The teacher should regard himself a link in 
the chain of endeavor that has for its mission the 
changing of a separatist into a co-operator, the 
individualist into a citizen, material as furnished 
by nature into the finished product out of which 
the strong government is made. What glory is 
there for the teacher who sends individualists 
swarming into the world, using their sharpened 
wits to tear the social fabric to pieces for their 
own personal ends? What glory is there 
for a teacher looking out upon a swarm of 
his educated products unable or indisposed to work 
together, neglecting golden opportunities that 
would come as the outgrowth of enduring co-oper¬ 
ation ? What joy will there be for teachers in look- 


214 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


ing out upon an army of educated sheep, good at 
heart, but unable to work together? Or upon an 
army of educated wolves which will only co-operate 
when there are prospects of snuffing out the lives 
and drinking the blood of others? 

The late Dr. Lyman Abbott, says: “Education 
is not a panacea. Equip a man with all the powers 
with which education can equip him and you sim¬ 
ply give him power with which he can carry on 
selfishness more skilfully and more efficiently than 
before. It will put an end to certain forms of sin 
and will put others in their place. The educated 
man will not pick your pocket, he will only forge 
your name; he will not steal, he will only defalcate. 
He has learned how to do his robbery, his stealing, 
his sin on a larger scale, and with somewhat less 
chances of detection.” 

That education has a social mission Prof. George 
Albert Coe thus points out in his book, “A Social 
Theory of Religious Education:” “Education aims 
at ‘social adjustment and social efficiency.’ This 
phrase represents the strong reaction of recent 
years against all formal conceptions of education— 
that is, conceptions that involve no notion of guid¬ 
ing the young in the social application of the pow¬ 
ers that education brings out. To define the aim of 
education as the unfolding of children’s powers is 
like saying that the purpose of a railroad is to 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 215 

cause cars to move from one place to another. 
What the cars carry and whither they are going 
are the important considerations. The strains that 
have developed within our industrial and civic life 
since the coming of machine manufacture, steam 
transportation, and the massing of the popu¬ 
lace in cities, have compelled us to see that 
the attitudes and the outlook of children with 
respect to their fellow-men are the prime concern 
of schools.” 

Every teacher should know thoroughly all the 
traits needed for collective efficiency. He should 
commit them to memory and keep a list constantly 
before him, scanning it daily. He should be on the 
alert in all his classes and on the play grounds for 
manifestations of traits that are anti-social in tend¬ 
ency, holding in mind that his supreme task, over¬ 
shadowing in importance all others, is that of pro¬ 
ducing co-operators. As all things in nature and 
all the experiences of mankind testify to the value 
of co-operation, the teacher should not fail to point 
out in every branch of study the lessons demon¬ 
strating that value. 

In studying the history of the rise and fall of 
nations, it should be pointed out that every rise has 
been the result of co-operation, and every fall has 
been caused by the presence of some anti-social or 
non-social traits. 


216 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


The play of the pupils should be so fashioned as 
to stimulate the team spirit. 

Where more than one teacher is employed, 
however much they may differ among themselves, 
their demeanor in the class rooms should be 
such as to give to the school the atmosphere 
of unity. 

There should be periods set apart for the pur¬ 
pose of giving attention to the fashioning of traits. 

Self-study on the part of pupils should be encour¬ 
aged, and examples of the right sort of traits in the 
various orders of creation should be held before 
them. Among the young, stories concerning the 
doings of the social insects and animals will no 
doubt prove to be highly profitable. 

The definite task, then, that lies before those who 
would develop a co-operative people out of such as 
are not co-operative is very largely a problem in 
psychology. Mr. Wells says: “The psychology of 
nations is still but a rudimentary thought. Psy¬ 
chologists have scarcely begun to study the citizen 
side of the individual man.” 

If this matter of fashioning traits is ignored, if 
leaders of groups content themselves with shouting 
to their followers that they should co-operate, if 
they seek to practice co-operation while ignoring 
the task of developing the social traits in the 
people, then look for collapse after collapse! Look 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 217 


for seeming success to be followed by most tragic 
failures! 

If there is a teacher who has the idea that it is 
none of his business to make a co-operator, we ask 
him to consider the assertion of Mr. Wells, that the 
outstanding educational problem of the age is “The 
preparation of the individual for an understanding 
of and a willing co-operation in world affairs.” 

The Germans, at a fearful cost to the world, have 
demonstrated for all time to come the part that a 
teacher can play in the transformation of a people. 
Mr. Wells says: “The young German read this in 
his school books, heard it in church, found it in his 
literature, had it poured into him with passionate 
conviction by his professor. It was poured into 
him by all his professors; lecturers in biology or 
mathematics would break off from their proper 
subject to indulge in long passages of patriotic 
rant. Only minds of extraordinary toughness and 
originality could resist such a torrent of sugges¬ 
tion.” 


Social Service Organizations 

Membership in social service organizations oper¬ 
ates in three ways to fertilize the soil for the devel¬ 
opment of co-operating natures. In the first place, 
working in an organization tends to take stiffness 
out of a man’s mind and to give to it the pliability 


218 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


necessary where one is to be a member of a team. 
As a child is helped in the matter of acquiring an 
adjustable disposition by being one of a number of 
children in the same family, so adjustability is 
developed in those who engage actively in fostering 
social service organizations. 

In the second place, such activities on the part 
of a man keeps his mind from growing hardened 
because of concentration on his business, the self- 
seeking side of life. 

In the third place, such service has a tendency to 
beget in the minds of those served a more kindly 
regard for mankind in general. In hearts aglow 
with love for their fellow-man there is a better 
opportunity to develop social virtues than in those 
who have not had experiences to cause them to think 
kindly of their fellows. 

The Individual 

The greatest of all agencies capable of bringing 
about transformation is the individual. Man is a 
self-regarding creature, and in that fact lies, to a 
very great extent, the hope of the world. 

Each man should become an unsparing student 
of himself and his tendencies. He should know 
thoroughly all the things that should be in the 
inner nature of a co-operator, and all the things 
that mark the individualist. Every man in every 


AGENCIES OF TRANSFORMATION 219 

group should have intercourse with his own spirit 
—should survey his life in the light of the require¬ 
ments of collective efficiency. Not only should the 
individual study himself, but he should also study 
his fellows and the life of his group. He should 
measure his group by the demands of collective 
efficiency; should discover in what respect the life 
of his group is failing to meet the requirements. 
When each individual is at work on his own men¬ 
tality, and is a student of the mentality of the 
others of his group, a long step will have been taken 
toward universal transformation. 


CHAPTER XI 


NATURE S CORRECTIVE 

The power that comes with collective efficiency 
is not in itself an end to be sought after, nor will it 
be permitted to rest permanently in unworthy 
hands. Those who seek this highest of all honors 
known to the human mind should have a high 
moral aim—should be inspired by a lofty purpose; 
should stand for the triumph of right at every 
point and at any cost. In patience, but with un¬ 
flinching persistence, there must be a passionate 
pursuit of the right. 

A moral aim pervading a group has the power to 
generate enthusiasm and to develop cohesion. The 
inspiration that it begets serves as a foil against 
outside attack. The lack of it means internal wran- 
glings and a progressive tendency toward disin¬ 
tegration. There is no surer sign of the absence of 
a controlling moral purpose than the existence of 
unseemly wrangles. Just as confusion reigns in 
the beehive when the queen disappears, so the ab¬ 
sence of a high moral aim begets confusion among 
men. 

The United States of America is a nation dedi¬ 
cated to noble purposes and swearing allegiance to 

220 


NATURE’S CORRECTIVE 221 

a high moral purpose, although at times failing to 
attain its high ideals. Human slavery was not in 
keeping with the professed ideals and the attempt 
to carry on, harboring this evil, brought the coun¬ 
try to its greatest crisis. The presence of evil in a 
combination is a force inevitably tending toward 
suicide. America’s two most noted bandits, who 
formed combinations for evil, both died at the 
hands of treacherous comrades. 

A high moral purpose refines the judgment. 
Wisdom lends its guiding light only where the 
moral aim is present. Bad judgment is a necessary 
accompaniment of low aims. Men cannot plan for 
evil and at the same time plan wisely enough to 
avoid a clash with the moral order. History shows 
that the bad judgment of evil combinations has led 
to situations that have brought about destruction. 

Moreover, the forces of nature are ever on the 
alert against every force that would nullify her 
purpose to achieve a glorious end in her work. If 
evil fails to commit suicide through internal strife; 
if it fails to exercise bad judgment leading to its 
destruction, nature still has her method for de¬ 
stroying it. Take note of her provisions for keep¬ 
ing the flies from taking possession of the world 
and displacing man, the climax of her creation. 
The fly, in a sense, is man’s greatest foe, carrying 
to him more diseases than any other living crea- 


222 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


ture. A single fly that goes through a winter can 
produce in one summer ten generations of off¬ 
spring, millions in number. Thus flies, unchecked, 
would become such a pestilence as to make life un¬ 
bearable to man, rendering the human race ineffi¬ 
cient, and finally destroying it. Now note how 
nature, according to an article by a Mr. I. Foster, 
holds in check man’s enemy: 

“Empusa musae is a fungus which attacks flies 
from early in the fall until winter finishes the job. 
The fly is attacked by floating spores, which attach 
themselves to it and throw out a thread which 
enters the body and, by budding and division, as in 
the lower protozoa, eventually fill the victim with 
the growth, feeding on the softer parts until death 
ensues. * * * It is probable that all insects have 
some fungous growth which attacks and kills them 
and the entomologists have already studied and 
named many of them which attack many different 
species.” 

Collective efficiency is not an end in itself—is 
not to be sought for its own sake. It is subject to 
nature’s one standard of measurement—readiness 
to serve. They that have collective efficiency, but 
not the spirit of service, are certain to fall under 
nature’s ban. Let us have nature’s sermon on this 
matter: 

Because the ants are so ready to serve each other, 


NATURE’S CORRECTIVE 


223 


and likewise the bees, nature has favored them with 
collective efficiency—has given them the place of 
honor among all insects. Because the fly is such a 
rank individualist, is so utterly devoid of the spirit 
of helpfulness, he is afflicted with characteristics 
that are loathsome and is marked by nature for 
slaughter. But there is a point where the tables 
are turned—where the ant is despised and rejected, 
while at the same point the fly is wooed and hon¬ 
ored. The two exchange places in the esteem of 
nature at exactly the point, and only there, where 
they change their respective attitudes toward the 
matter of rendering service. Notice how the ant 
falls from its high eminence to the depths of degra¬ 
dation at the point where it loses the idea of service, 
and notice the lifting of the fly from its position of 
shame at the point where it for once and in a very 
limited way enters the ranks of those that serve. 

There are certain flowers that are dependent for 
pollination upon pollen that is brought to them 
from other flowers of like kind. Bees are very use¬ 
ful in transferring pollen from one flower to 
another, and the flowers are so constructed as to be 
able to receive and benefit the bees. But ants do 
not transfer pollen. They will eat pollen, but, un¬ 
like the bees, will give none in return. Thus we find 
certain flowers provided with a sticky substance 
that makes it impossible for the ants to get to their 
pollen. 


224 guide to racial greatness 


The hated fly will transfer pollen. With all of 
his evil traits, here is one point where the fly 
renders service, and the door that is resolutely 
closed in the face of the ant is opened to him. 

In order that the fly may be attracted so that he 
will come for pollen, bringing pollen from other 
flowers with him, the Carrion flower has equipped 
itself with the vile odor of decaying things, an odor 
that will appeal to the fly. Behold the despised fly 
at last and at one point sitting in the seat of honor, 
looking down upon the ant, which here has lost its 
cunning. Let those who have and those who seek 
collective efficiency watch these two insects as they 
change places at this point and get the eternal les¬ 
son. Let them realize that collective efficiency 
never comes save as a result of the spirit of service, 
is only designed for service, and is a source of dis¬ 
honor instead of honor at any and all points where 
it fails to render service. 

Germany went to the pinnacle of the temple. By 
her side stood her Satan, beseeching her to bow 
down and worship him, promising to bestow upon 
her the overlordship of the governments of the 
earth. This was but a call to her to prostitute her 
powers—to make use of her collective efficiency 
in a baneful way. The moral order of the universe 
stood aghast at the scheme. From all the ends of 
the earth, from land and sea and sky, came the 


NATURE’S CORRECTIVE 


225 


forces to block her pathway—to do and to die until 
she abandoned her evil dream. From the depths 
into which she was hurled comes this interpreta¬ 
tion of the dominant thought of the proud nation 
that but a little while ago was dreaming of being 
the dominating force of the world: “We are bound 
for oblivion, and nothing matters any more.” 

Mr. David Lloyd George says: “What was one of 
the great lessons of the war? I will tell you one. 
There was a nation with the most perfect army in 
the world; it was beaten because it had a bad cause. 
There were nations with ill-equipped armies—they 
won. Why? They had righteousness on their side. 
Trust not in force. The nation that does so brings 
ruin upon itself; but the leaders, the trainers of 
conscience, have got to bring that home. This 
seems to me to be the greatest mission of the 
churches.” 

Professor Patten says: 

“But the world will be better for this practical 
lesson, for it can now more clearly see the inevita¬ 
ble results of this policy. For Germany, with scien¬ 
tific precision, has demonstrated to the world, using 
in the experiment all her incomparable resources 
of power—physical, intellectual and administrative 
—that selfishness for nations, as for individuals, is 
self-destructive.” 

Mr. Keene Summer, in concluding an article in 


226 GUIDE TO RACIAL GREATNESS 


the American Magazine on “The Wonders of the 
Earth’s Front Yard,” says: “If there is one lesson, 
more than any other, which we human beings 
should take to heart from this glimpse into the 
marvelous mechanism of the universe, it seems to 
me that it should be the lesson of order—of co-oper¬ 
ation for the good of all. From the smallest atom 
in the rings of Saturn to the central sun itself, 
every member of the solar family observes the nat¬ 
ural law. If one of them turned anarchist there 
would be confusion and destruction and chaos. 
There are natural moral laws, just as there are nat¬ 
ural physical ones; and in their observance lies the 
safety and the progress of humanity. That is the 
big lesson we can learn from our sky-neighbors.” 

Let those who aspire for collective efficiency make 
sure of a righteous aim. Cultivate a passion for 
right, for truth, for justice, for kindness—for all 
that is high and noble. Let the heart and mind and 
being be swayed by these things. Let this high aim 
never pass from the vision. If at any time forces 
arise to obscure it, battle heroically and at any cost 
for its restoration. There is no need of a great 
collective force unless it is to foster the good and 
the true. There are numbers of harmful insects 
which, left to themselves, would leave the earth 
desolate, but nature has provided enemies for them 
that hold them in check. Nature is the same benefi- 


NATURE'S CORRECTIVE 227 

cent mother throughout her realm, ever watch¬ 
ful of whatever would check her evolutionary 
movement. 

“Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a re¬ 
proach to any people." 


A PARTING WORD 


The task of giving the laws of collective efficiency 
is finished. We beg indulgence as we give a word 
of exhortation. When the timid groups of men are 
confronted with what is required to attain col¬ 
lective efficiency; when they note the unyielding 
demand coming from the inner soul of the universe 
that those who are permitted to wield great power 
uninterruptedly must have lofty aims, perform 
noble deeds, and exemplify righteousness; when 
they understand that they are called upon to alter 
traits and make profound changes in their natures; 
when they measure the heights of character to 
which their masses must be lifted to make sure that 
their collective expression shall be of a righteous 
and benevolent character, then will they stand ap¬ 
palled, chained by the law of inertia and contenting 
themselves with the dream that some nobler gen¬ 
eration than their own will gird up its loins and 
begin the journey which their better selves call 
upon them in vain to pursue. 

Fortunately for the morale of the groups of men 
that yet have before them the duty of attaining col¬ 
lective efficiency, the Nordic race, which in prac¬ 
tically all of its branches has made the goal, has 
228 


A PARTING WORD 


229 


before it a problem similar in nature to the heavier 
portion of the task that lies before the lingering 
races. The Nordics have been great fighters and 
have brought under their control a large portion of 
the earth’s surface. They have been thus spurred 
on by the strongly developed instinct of pugnacity. 
But if they keep on fighting, and fight among them¬ 
selves as they have begun to do, the civilization 
which they have wrought out will become but a 
great mass of ruins. Undismayed by the size of 
the undertaking, men in the Nordic race have re¬ 
solved so to modify the instinct of pugnacity as to 
eliminate the great danger of self-extermination. 

If in the Nordic race there are to be serious 
efforts on the part of thinking men to modify an 
instinct that has served in the past to give them 
primacy, but that now threatens their existence, 
surely other groups should feel warranted in grap¬ 
pling with the traits and instincts that have oper¬ 
ated to retard their progress. Be ashamed, oh ye 
victims of sloth, wherever ye may be! Be aroused, 
oh ye laggards on life’s great highway! All men 
are brethren and all can dwell alike upon the 
mountain top of glorious achievement, if all will 
but find the law and walk according to its ways! 









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